Jackal, Genius Geneticist Doesn't Miss - Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstorm|FCA|28" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihiko_Yoshida">Akihiko Yoshida</a></em></p>
<p>As Commander has become the default format for the majority of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> players, and as we shift into a world where there's as many (if not more) <em>Universes Beyond</em> sets each year as those within, we face an unusual problem with <em>Magic</em> design: <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> is printing way too many legendary creature cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heroes&#039; Podium"></div></div>
<p>Anyone who's been a <em>Magic </em>player for more than a few months of the last few years will be all too familiar with the absolute glut of content coming out of the printers at the moment. Even the most entrenched and card-hungry <em>Magic </em>players can get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of releases we're now subjected to.</p>
<p>With more sets means more cards and, recently, way more commanders.</p>
<h2>The Numbers Don't Lie</h2>
<p>Take a look at <a href="https://tappedout.net/mtg-forum/general/too-many-legendary-creatures/">this thread</a> from the Tapped Out forums on the rising number of legends in Standard-legal sets. This was from April 2022, before the influx of <em>Universes Beyond</em> had really kicked off (The <em>Warhammer 40,000 </em>Commander precons would release later that year). Already the trend was very visible, with single sets having double the legends printed of those present in entire <em>blocks</em> of <em>Magic: The Gathering </em>past.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza&#039;s Ruinous Blast"></div></div>
<p>There were definitely outliers. The original <em>Kamigawa</em> block, for example, had legendary cards in the high 90s across its three sets. This though, of course, was a set specifically built around a legendary creature theme. Not dissimilar to the recently rotated out <em>Dominaria United</em> set, itself, saw over 40 legends in a single set that was once again built around legendary spells as a theme.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rith, Liberated Primeval"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ertai Resurrected"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse"></div></div>
<p>This was a trend that wasn't overly welcome to long-term players who aren't a big fan of change, but it was a trend that made sense.</p>
<p>Commander is now the premiere <em>Magic</em> format, and as the original forum poster observes, the introduction of Commander precons tied with each Standard release saw a big influx of legends per set to accommodate players whose main purchasing incentive for new sets was to pick a shiny new legend to lead their Commander deck.</p>
<h2>Here Come the Brands</h2>
<p>Earlier this year, the first ever Standard-legal <em>Universes Beyond</em> set released in <em>Final Fantasy</em>. It marked the most recent of many U-turns in <em>Wizards</em>' policy on how UB sets would be printed.</p>
<p>From Secret Lair exclusives with in-universe reprints to Commander-only products to straight to Modern sets to now being legal in every format there is save for hyper specific ones, like Pre-modern.</p>
<p>Now, let me just clarify that I'm not here to talk about the qualities of <em>Universes Beyond</em> sets in anything but a mechanical sense. Personally, I'm really not a fan of this new era of Fornite colab <em>MTG</em>. If you are a fan then I'm very happy for you and I'm glad you're getting to play with cool stuff that makes you happy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vivi Ornitier"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary"></div></div>
<p>But with UB sets now legal in effectively every format in the game, there's some mechanical problems inherent to their design that are worth talking about. The one we're focusing on today being the hyper inflation of legendary creatures in new set card pools.</p>
<p><em>Final Fantasy </em>is far and away the most legend-dense main set we've ever seen, with a whopping 99 legendary creatures in its main set according to <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=%28type%3Acreature+type%3Alegendary%29+%28game%3Apaper%29+set%3Afin">Scryfall</a>. Not to mention that the set itself also brings with it another 101 legendary creatures via its Commander product and the <em>Through the Ages </em>bonus sheet (which, in fairness, are just reprints). Either way that's an unprecedented total of 200 different legendary creatures among the set.</p>
<h3>Character Dense = Legend Dense</h3>
<p>Whilst printing more legendary creatures has been something <em>Wizards</em> clearly and intentionally focused on in the last few years' worth of sets, doing the same in <em>Universes Beyond</em> sets isn't much of choice. When you're adapting something like <em>Final Fantasy</em> into a <em>Magic</em> set, there's a hell of a lot of characters to fit into one set of cards. The franchise has been around for decades and every entry in the series has its die-hard fanbase.</p>
<p>And with a lot of these tie-ins you'll face a similar problem. One of the big selling points of <em>Universes Beyond</em> sets to those they target is owning their favorite characters on <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> cards. A lot of the upcoming and potential settings won't have much in the way source material that isn't named characters. It's why we've already been spoiled about fifteen different versions of <em>Spider-Man</em> in the upcoming set.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guy in the Chair"></div></div>
<p>Outside of the webslinger and his many named villains and sidekicks, what other creature cards can you really make? Generic goon #5? Dude who steals an old lady's purse? Or as we've already seen spoiled, the incredibly exciting "<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guy in the Chair" href="#" target="_blank">Guy in the Chair</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>"</p>
<h2>Okay, So Why is That a Problem?</h2>
<p>But who cares, right? So we've got a lot of legendary creatures coming out in newer sets. What actual effect does that have on gameplay? You might not think it would do much, but unfortunately there are problems that arise in <em>Magic</em> design when the legend count is too high.</p>
<p>Let's delve into them:</p>
<h2>A glut of Useless Legends</h2>
<p>First of all, when you get a lot of named characters in a set, you have a lot of legendary creature designs to go around, and realistically, not every legend is going to get the same amount of love. If every <em>Final Fantasy</em> legendary creature was as broken as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the set might have broken every format in existence. There are just some characters that'll have pretty mundane abilities.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Basri, Tomorrow&#039;s Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syr Armont, the Redeemer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="G&#039;raha Tia"></div></div>
<p>And we've seen a huge influx of these in <em>Magic</em> sets in general. Legends that only see about five people building them as a commander and don't see play outside of draft environments. They don't exist as legendary creatures because the designers thought they were super powerful chase cards but simply because they are named characters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sokka, Wolf Cove&#039;s Protector"></div></div>
<p>Take a look at this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Wolf Cove&#039;s Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> card from the upcoming <em>Avatar</em> set. Who is this for? What purpose is there for this card being legendary? Who wants to play with this other than as a meme?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Byrke, Long Ear of the Law"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bria, Riptide Rogue"></div></div>
<p>I'm not sure where this card is from as the set symbol doesn't seem to belong to the main <em>Avatar</em> product line, so I'll cede that it's likely from some kind of teaching product, like a welcome deck. But take a look at the legends from the <em>Bloomburrow </em>starter decks above. At least they seemed to actually warrant their legendary status. This is just a card with someone's name on it.</p>
<h2>Legends Don't Matter, But...</h2>
<p>Whilst <em>Final Fantasy </em>was the most legend-filled set of all time, weirdly, it wasn't a set that actually cared about legends all that much. There were some cards that specifically called out legendary cards in their rules text, but from what I can tell, there were only about six of them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venat, Heart of Hydaelyn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serah Farron"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clive&#039;s Hideaway"></div></div>
<p>That's out of about 300 cards in the set itself, and the above examples are all rare. I wouldn't call that a "legends matter" set. Compare it to UB sibling <em>The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, </em>which had a good selection of cards at all rarities that cared about players leaning into a predominantly legendary creature base, and it was a set that had slightly fewer legendary creatures overall.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gandalf the White"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ringsight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nasty End"></div></div>
<p>But you can sympathize with <em>Magic's</em> designers here. You can't just have every single UB set be a legends matter set. Instead, we end up with a few token legends matter cards in the pool and predominantly a load of legendary creatures that are only legends because they're named in their source property.</p>
<h2>..."Legends Matter" Even More</h2>
<p>But I do think this will lead to a problem for Commander deckbuilders. When this many legendary creatures are in each set's card pool, more and more generic abilities and card archetypes end up being given a legendary frame.</p>
<p>Anyone who's been on the receiving end of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jodah, the Unifier" href="#" target="_blank">Jodah, the Unifier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck knows that legends-focused strategies can be intensely strong in Commander, a format where the main drawback of a creature being legendary doesn't actually exist due to it being singleton anyway.</p>
<p>Legendary as a supertype is supposed to be a balancer. You get a card that punches above its weight, but you can only have one copy at a time. In Commander, they just punch above their weight. But you also have access to a nice big pool of cards that generically reward you for having your creatures be legendary.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heroes&#039; Podium"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plaza of Heroes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relic of Legends"></div></div>
<p>So my question is: if there's soon to be a legendary version of every card in the game, why shouldn't you just play the legendary ones and reap the rewards of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroes&#039; Podium" href="#" target="_blank">Heroes&#039; Podium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relic of Legends" href="#" target="_blank">Relic of Legends</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Why not just replace a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hinterland Sanctifier" href="#" target="_blank">Hinterland Sanctifier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aunt May" href="#" target="_blank">Aunt May</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<h2>Effect on 60-Card Formats</h2>
<p>Bear in mind that this is just Commander and the effects it'll have on <em>Magic</em>'s biggest formats. We've not even spoken about the 60-card formats, like the aforementioned Standard. What effects will an overwhelming number of legendary cards have on a format that can play up to four of each?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barktooth Warbeard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jerrard of the Closed Fist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skoa, Embermage"></div></div>
<p>Weird things are happening to my beloved format of Pauper, a place where legendary creatures were effectively nonexistent save for some truly awful old cards and one more modern example from <em>Modern Horizons 3</em>. In a format where legends aren't played, the king of removal is a two-mana black instant whose downside might as well not be printed on the card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cast Down" href="#" target="_blank">Cast Down</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cast Down"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Man, Web-Slinger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Man, Brooklyn Visionary"></div></div>
<p>But with <em>Spider-Man</em>, we're starting to see legendary creatures rear their heads even there. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Man, Web-Slinger" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Man, Web-Slinger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could be Pauper-playable for aggro decks that might want to replay a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thraben Inspector" href="#" target="_blank">Thraben Inspector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the extra Clue. Does this set a precedent for sets to come? Is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cast Down" href="#" target="_blank">Cast Down</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> about to become a whole lot worse just because <em>Wizards</em> needed more room to cram more named characters in?</p>
<h3>More UB Legends Means Less <em>Magic</em> Legends</h3>
<p>For those with an attachment to <em>Magic</em>'s original worlds, we're also going to see less named, in-universe characters feature in the spotlight as well. The most recent set, <em>Edge of Eternities, </em>despite being a brand new setting we're to introduce ourselves to, saw a far lower number of legendary creatures. There were just 15 in total.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/rosewater.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-162978" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/rosewater-300x79.png" alt="A screenshot from Mark Rosewater's blog in which he confirms that in universe sets will get less legends to accommodate the increased numbers from Universes Beyond sets. " width="300" height="79" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/rosewater-300x79.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/rosewater.png 619w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p>
<p>And this wasn't a mistake. <em>Wizards</em> is aware that the overwhelming increase in legendary creatures could be bad for <em>Magic</em> as a whole. As a result, they've effectively trimmed the amount that are allowed to be released with in-universe sets. As confirmed by Mark Rosewater, this is an exercise in bringing the total legends per year count down.</p>
<p>If you're a fan of getting new legends per set, then I hope you like whatever brand <em>Magic</em> decides to cross over with! Because that'll be the vast majority of the options you have to pick from.</p>
<p>It's good to know that <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> has some of the issues here on their radar, but it hurts to see that <em>Magic's</em> original IP is once again the one that'll have to suffer for UB's overreach.</p>
<h2>A Legendary Future</h2>
<p>As we've seen from the massive success of <em>Universes Beyond</em> product, this problem isn't going anywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if the amount of UB sets per year continues to rise. With that, we can only hope that <em>Wizards</em> shows restraint in their design decisions. Otherwise, the general power level of new cards may be on the rise once again, and <em>Magic</em> as we know it may be on course to become even more unrecognizable than ever before.</p>
<p></p>
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There's Way Too Many Legendary Creatures in Recent Magic Sets

A Mono-White Voltron / Aikido Deck with Anti-Venom, Horrifying Healer

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Man, Miles Morales" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Man, Miles Morales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art By: <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CInHyuk+Lee%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">InHyuk Lee</a></em></p>
<p>The first appearance of a modern re-interpretation of Spider-Man came in 2011, and now, in the year 2025, we get to see Spider-Man on a <em>Magic</em> card for the first time. It's safe to say that Miles Morales is a fan favorite version of the Spider-Man character. Usually, for <em>Magic</em> players, cards from the welcome decks aren't anyone's favorite. Thanks to <em>Universes Beyond</em> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Man, Miles Morales" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Man, Miles Morales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is looking to swing into the ranks of a favorite for players for years to come.</p>
<p>My name is Nick, and let's keep our friendly neighborhood safe with possibly the only thing that green does "worse" than some of the other colors in the game: blink.</p>
<h2>Blink and You'll Miss It</h2>
<p>So why build a mono-green blink deck? Because I can, so stop asking questions and look at the cards.</p>
<p>One of the main cards that we want to blink in this deck is the commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Man, Miles Morales" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Man, Miles Morales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Giving our entire board a +1/+1 counter and trample until the end of the turn is crazy. Having a mini <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overrun" href="#" target="_blank">Overrun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from the command zone can't be underrated. That said, even Spider-Man sometimes needs a team, and our team is the other cards in the 99.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Craterhoof Behemoth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vaultborn Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terastodon"></div></div>
<p>Every green player's favorite finisher, the ever-beloved or ever-loathed <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>, is the end-all be-all when it comes to top end in green. It does exactly what you need a big creature to do, and it does it the best, though giving it a slight boost and vigilance never hurts.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vaultborn Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Vaultborn Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the newest cards finding homes in large green creature decks. The dino is right at home in a blink strategy, either by being the recipient of leaving the battlefield or seeing other creatures come into play. Having to get rid of this creature twice on average, unless you are packing a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farewell" href="#" target="_blank">Farewell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in your deck, means double the opportunities for ETB shenanigans.</p>
<p>Maybe not the card you will always want to blink in and out of a battlefield, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terastodon" href="#" target="_blank">Terastodon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an effective answer to annoying permanents, and occasionally you'll give yourself three 3/3 elephants when you have permanents to spare.</p>
<h2>Making Web Formula</h2>
<p>Unlike the blue and white, which have access to cards such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Flicker" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Flicker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, green has to work a bit harder to make a blink strategy work, which is where the secret sixth color in the game comes along to save the day: colorless.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conjurer&#039;s Closet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golden Argosy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancestral Statue"></div></div>
<p>One of the best cards in the blink strategy, regardless of the colors being played, is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conjurer&#039;s Closet" href="#" target="_blank">Conjurer&#039;s Closet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Exiling a creature every single turn and bringing it back right away for full value is executing the strategy perfectly.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golden Argosy" href="#" target="_blank">Golden Argosy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes with a slight downside of returning the creatures used to crew it tapped, but it comes with the upside of being able to overpay the crew 1 cost to blink out multiple creatures. Who cares if the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hornet Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Hornet Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> used to crew comes back tapped when you get a second wave of tokens out of it?</p>
<p>While not at the peak of its power in this deck, the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Statue" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is still a vital piece, allowing us to pick up any creature just by casting another creature. Just because this deck is not going all in on the combo applications of this card, getting a few extra enter effects off of a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Acidic Slime" href="#" target="_blank">Acidic Slime</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be game-changing.</p>
<h2>Not the Same Hero</h2>
<p>I have mentioned some of the more commonly seen creatures that can be blinked in the deck, such as <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 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terastodon" href="#" target="_blank">Terastodon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but this deck has some less common creatures in its midst.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duplicant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avatar of Growth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Canoptek Scarab Swarm"></div></div>
<p>A card that used to see play at the levels of staple cards today, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duplicant" href="#" target="_blank">Duplicant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/duplicant">under 1%</a> of the total amount of decks it could be played in today. Green tends to struggle with creature removal, and having a blinkable creature that can exile a problem from an opponent's board is exactly what this deck needs. It becomes even better when the creature is pumped up, since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duplicant" href="#" target="_blank">Duplicant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gains the power and toughness of the creature exiled.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avatar of Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Avatar of Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a double-edged sword and not a card that you would want to blink at every occasion. Since this deck runs 20 basic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forest" href="#" target="_blank">Forest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, most opponents will run out of basics before we lose out on the benefit of the Avatar. You don't always want to ramp your opponents, but it might be a way to gain favor and maneuver your way to a winning board state.</p>
<p>Finally, a card that I feel makes it into more and more decks with every set, the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Canoptek Scarab Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Canoptek Scarab Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A blinkable piece of graveyard hate that comes with a way to turn that graveyard hate into flying blockers and all for only <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. The card is better if you face off against artifact or land-based decks, but the ability to exile a graveyard should be an option for every deck.</p>
<h2>Not Basic</h2>
<p>Mono-colored decks often toe the line with running a high amount of basics versus a high amount of utility lands. In theory, the ability to run utility lands should be at its highest in a deck with fewer colors, but for mono-green at some point, you find yourself wanting more and more basic lands. They are easy to find and easy to put onto the battlefield, but to be honest, they are a bit less fun. So what are some of the more fun lands this deck has to offer?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Endless Sands"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sanctum of Eternity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Winding Canyons"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Endless Sands" href="#" target="_blank">Endless Sands</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might take a few turns to get going, but the ability to stash creatures away and protect them from removal to be used later is the best way to mimic the instant-speed blink effects found in other colors. If you catch the table unprepared, sticking two or three creatures under this land and then bringing them back on someone else's turn can be extremely powerful.</p>
<p>Recasting your commander is often not the optimal play pattern, but with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Man, Miles Morales" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Man, Miles Morales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, every time they enter is purely beneficial. Sadly, at six mana, even a green deck could find a time where it is struggling to do anything but recast their commander, which is where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanctum of Eternity" href="#" target="_blank">Sanctum of Eternity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes into play. Bouncing Miles from the battlefield back to hand to pump up your other creatures again and again allows for flexibility in the board state.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winding Canyons" href="#" target="_blank">Winding Canyons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> looks strange at first glance in the deck, but stick with me for a moment. The land does not blink a creature or stash one for a later date. What it does is take advantage of most of the creatures in the list having an enter-the-battlefield effect. Flashing in something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kogla, the Titan Ape" href="#" target="_blank">Kogla, the Titan Ape</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titan of Industry" href="#" target="_blank">Titan of Industry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on an opponent's turn or the middle of combat can derail well-laid plans.</p>
<h2>Like Blink If You Don't Think About It</h2>
<p>Mono-green, as stated, does not have the best or the most options when it comes to blinking, but there are ways to mimic the effects of a creature being blinked employed in this deck. Everyone knows how good a card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is, but some of these other cards might be less familiar.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Helm of the Host"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Strionic Resonator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cauldron of Souls"></div></div>
<p>The most well-known of the options is going to be <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>, a combo piece in cEDH, and a <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/helm-of-the-host">heavily played</a> card in EDH proper, it allows the "reuse" of an ETB effect by making a token copy of the creature. The best part about this card is that it's not even negated by the legendary creatures we have with good ETB abilities. Thankfully, Helm was made during a design period where coping with legendary creatures comes with no downside.</p>
<p>Similar to the Helm and copying ETB effects, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strionic Resonator" href="#" target="_blank">Strionic Resonator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes an appearance. Whether it's copying the ability of the creature or getting weird with it and copying the trigger of <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> itself, having another "fake" blink effect in this deck goes a long way.</p>
<p>Lastly, a card many players may have never come across, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cauldron of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Cauldron of Souls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Five mana is a bit high when it comes to protecting creatures, but when that protection doubles as reanimation, the cost is just right. Giving any creatures you want persist so that they survive most wrath effects an opponent might play and allowing you to have those creatures enter the battlefield yet again makes<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cauldron of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Cauldron of Souls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a superstar in the deck. With <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Man, Miles Morales" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Man, Miles Morales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at the head of this deck, the Cauldron is also a reusable effect thanks to the +1/+1 and 1/-1 counters cancelling one another out.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>When I first saw the spoiler for this card, I instantly knew this card needed a closer look. For a welcome deck card to have such a powerful ability on it, and have a great stat line combining power/toughness and abilities, I was honestly shocked. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Man, Miles Morales" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Man, Miles Morales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite cards so far from the upcoming <em>Spider-Man</em> set, and I hope to see it at many tables in the future.</p>
<p>It will, when the dust settles, be a card found in 99 or more decks than it will be in the command zone, but that doesn't diminish my excitement to see it in play. Trying to focus on ETB and blink abilities in mono-green was a fun twist on deck building, and it was interesting to focus on an aspect of green that is near the bottom of the color-pie barrel, but I also want to know what you think.</p>
<p>Who is your favorite hero or villain from the <em>Spider-Man</em> franchise? What characters are you still excited to see as more of the set is spoiled? And who are you building around when the set comes out? Let me know here or over at <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nicnax96.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>. Keep your eyes out for even more content for the upcoming UB sets, and whether it's web-slinging or waterbending, know that with great deckbuilding power comes great deckbuilding responsibility.</p>
<h2>Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tech The Deck - Spider-Man, Miles Morales" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Spider-Man, Miles Morales
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Acidic Slime
*1 Ancestral Statue
*1 Avatar of Growth
*1 Bane of Progress
*1 Bramble Sovereign
*1 Canoptek Scarab Swarm
*1 Craterhoof Behemoth
*1 Defiler of Vigor
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Disciple of Freyalise // Garden of Freyalise
*1 Duplicant
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Farhaven Elf
*1 Fierce Empath
*1 Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant
*1 Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood
*1 God-Eternal Rhonas
*1 Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma
*1 Hornet Queen
*1 Kogla, the Titan Ape
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Outcaster Trailblazer
*1 Overlord of the Hauntwoods
*1 Reclamation Sage
*1 Regal Behemoth
*1 Regal Force
*1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Spider-Man, Brooklyn Visionary
*1 Surrak and Goreclaw
*1 Temur Sabertooth
*1 Terastodon
*1 Timeless Witness
*1 Titan of Industry
*1 Topiary Stomper
*1 Vaultborn Tyrant
*1 Wood Elves
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Cauldron of Souls
*1 Conjurer&#039;s Closet
*1 Emerald Medallion
*1 Golden Argosy
*1 Helm of the Host
*1 Herd Heirloom
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Rhonas&#039;s Monument
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Strionic Resonator
*1 The Great Henge
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Concordant Crossroads
*1 Elemental Bond
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
*1 Guardian Project
*1 Kraven&#039;s Last Hunt
*1 Song of the Dryads
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Finale of Devastation
*1 Last March of the Ents
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Three Visits
*1 Traverse the Outlands
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Archway
*1 Castle Garenbrig
*1 Command Tower
*1 Endless Sands
*1 Evendo, Waking Haven
*20 Forest
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 Horizon of Progress
*1 Jungle Basin
*1 Mosswort Bridge
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
*1 Sanctum of Eternity
*1 Talon Gates of Madara
*1 Winding Canyons
[/Lands]"></span></div>


Spider-Man, Miles Morales Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Spider-Man Saves the City | Art by <a href="https://www.dandossantos.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dan Dos Santos</a></em></p>
<p>Spider-Man isn't a franchise I ever would've expected <em>Magic: the Gathering</em> to do a crossover with. And, while I'm trying to maintain my typical skepticism of these Universes Beyond sets, this one is definitely cracking my resolve. I'm champing at the bit to find out how the <em>Magic</em> design team has chosen to tackle the Spider-Man cannon and to see how deep into the lore they're going to take us.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venom, Deadly Devourer"></div></div>
<p>The first wave of previews left me feeling a little underwhelmed, but there is one standout card from the bunch I'm excited to take a look at in this deck tech: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venom, Deadly Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Venom, Deadly Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>What Does Venom, Deadly Devourer Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venom, Deadly Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Venom, Deadly Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is, put simply, a really buff <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scavenging Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Scavenging Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Venom is a four mana 4/4 with vigilance, menace, and a very versatile activated ability: For three mana, Venom can exile a creature from any graveyard and put a number +1/+1 counters equal to the exiled creature's toughness on himself.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scavenging Ooze"></div></div>
<p>Most importantly, this ability can be activated at instant speed, meaning opponents often won't know how much damage they're on the hook for when deciding whether or not they want to block Venom.</p>
<p>This deck will fall somewhere under the Voltron umbrella, using +1/+1 counters rather than Auras or Equipment to deal lethal commander damage. My goal for this deck is to use Venom as the ambush predator that he is.</p>
<p>The primary play pattern will be swinging with Venom while holding up a bunch of open mana, letting opponents make their blocking decisions, then tossing a creature into exile at instant speed, eating it with Venom and either tearing through the creatures that blocked him or dealing lethal commander damage if an opponent ever makes the mistake of leaving Venom unblocked.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Venom, Deadly Devourer</h2>
<p>In order for Venom to really do anything, he needs creatures in the graveyard to eat! Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to do that while keeping opponents in the dark until it's too late.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Entomb"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Survival of the Fittest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitter Triumph"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entomb" href="#" target="_blank">Entomb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the signature card of graveyard strategies like this. For only one mana, it sends any card straight from the library to the graveyard at instant speed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Survival of the Fittest" href="#" target="_blank">Survival of the Fittest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> serves the same function, alongside its cousin <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fauna Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Fauna Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while also serving as a discard outlet to dispose of large creatures that get stuck in the hand.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitter Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Bitter Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is often a two-for-one deal, destroying an opposing creature and discarding one from the hand, giving Venom two creatures to exile for just two mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Branching Evolution"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ouroboroid"></div></div>
<p>Unfortunately, Venom won't get enough +1/+1 counters to one-shot an unsuspecting opponent in just one activation without a little help. Even exiling a creature as large as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impervious Greatwurm" href="#" target="_blank">Impervious Greatwurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just shy of allowing Venom to deal the necessary 21 points of commander damage.</p>
<p>To get the rest of the way there, Venom will need a little help from cards that can double the counters on him. I love <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Bristly Bill, Spine Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as yet another instant speed activated ability that can be held over the defending player's head during combat.</p>
<p>Alongside the instant speed methods of sending creatures to the graveyard, I've included some self-mill and recursion engines to provide the deck with some much needed card velocity.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Six"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Life from the Loam"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Six" href="#" target="_blank">Six</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Life from the Loam" href="#" target="_blank">Life from the Loam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work together to create an engine that I severely underestimated until I got to play with it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Life from the Loam" href="#" target="_blank">Life from the Loam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> picks up lands to discard as part of the retrace cost to cast permanents from the graveyard with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Six" href="#" target="_blank">Six</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ability and fills the graveyard as it gets dredged back each draw step.</p>
<p>I've included some permanents to bolster this synergy, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seal of Primordium" href="#" target="_blank">Seal of Primordium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haywire Mite" href="#" target="_blank">Haywire Mite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> instead of more conventional artifact and enchantment removal. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Life from the Loam" href="#" target="_blank">Life from the Loam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also fantastic on its own as a way to recur lands, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strip Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Strip Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boseiju, Who Endures" href="#" target="_blank">Boseiju, Who Endures</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <a href="https://edhrec.com/lands/golgari#fetchlands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fetchlands</a>.</p>
<h2>How Does this Venom, Deadly Devourer Deck Win?</h2>
<p>This deck wins like any other Voltron deck: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venom, Deadly Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Venom, Deadly Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will get into the red zone and kill all three opponents all by himself.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tainted Strike"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tainted Strike" href="#" target="_blank">Tainted Strike</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can speed up this process, drastically reducing the amount of +1/+1 counters Venom will need to one-shot at least one opponent. Often, this card comes in handy in the longer games where Venom dies a couple of times and the deck's resources are being stretched thin to string together one last combat step to end the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lord of Extinction"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Victimize"></div></div>
<p>I've included one alternative to the normal combat damage plan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can sacrifice a large <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venom, Deadly Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Venom, Deadly Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and burn the whole table out. Venom isn't even the only reasonable creature that can be used to burn out the table in this way. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord of Extinction" href="#" target="_blank">Lord of Extinction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will often be more than large enough in the later stages of the game. Even better, Jarad recurs himself and provides a very enticing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reanimate" href="#" target="_blank">Reanimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> target.</p>
<p>Executing this plan is more high-investment than simply attacking with Venom, but the resources that go into it are very much worth the reward.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rest in Peace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bojuka Bog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wheel of Sun and Moon"></div></div>
<p>The biggest barrier to winning the game with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venom, Deadly Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Venom, Deadly Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is opposing graveyard hate. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> render the game entirely unplayable for this otherwise unstoppable Symbiote.</p>
<p>I've tried to protect against this with a lot of generic non-land permanent removal. However, a well timed piece of graveyard hate can still render this deck inert despite Venom's best efforts to subvert it. I think it can be fun for decks to have fatal flaws like this, and I find it very funny that <em>Magic</em>'s version of Venom is more vulnerable to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bojuka Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Bojuka Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> than he is church bells or fire.</p>
<h2>Venom, Deadly Devourer Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Venom, Deadly Devourer Deck" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Venom, Deadly Devourer
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrupt Decay
*1 Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*1 Bitter Triumph
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Entomb
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Noxious Revival
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker
*1 Revitalizing Repast
*1 Snakeskin Veil
*1 Snuff Out
*1 Tainted Strike
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Safekeeping
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Agonasaur Rex
*1 Altanak, the Thrice-Called
*1 Amzu, Swarm&#039;s Hunger
*1 Barrowgoyf
*1 Brawn
*1 Bristly Bill, Spine Sower
*1 Corpsejack Menace
*1 Daemogoth Titan
*1 Death&#039;s Shadow
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Fanatic of Rhonas
*1 Fauna Shaman
*1 Generous Ent
*1 Haywire Mite
*1 Impervious Greatwurm
*1 Incubation Druid
*1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
*1 Krosan Tusker
*1 Lord of Extinction
*1 Ouroboroid
*1 Six
*1 Skull Prophet
*1 Street Wraith
*1 Titanoth Rex
*1 Tree of Perdition
*1 Tree of Redemption
*1 Troll of Khazad-dûm
*1 Warped Tusker
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Buried Alive
*1 Culling Ritual
*1 Damnation
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Into the North
*1 Life from the Loam
*1 Malevolent Rumble
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Reanimate
*1 Three Visits
*1 Toxic Deluge
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Branching Evolution
*1 Innkeeper&#039;s Talent
*1 Insidious Roots
*1 Seal of Primordium
*1 Sphere Grid
*1 Survival of the Fittest
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Lavaspur Boots
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Grist, the Hunger Tide
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Tomb
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Blooming Marsh
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Darkbore Pathway
*1 Deathcap Glade
*1 Golgari Rot Farm
*1 Llanowar Wastes
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Necroblossom Snarl
*1 Nurturing Peatland
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*4 Snow-Covered Forest
*4 Snow-Covered Swamp
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
*1 Twilight Mire
*1 Underground Mortuary
*1 Undergrowth Stadium
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Wastewood Verge
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Woodland Cemetery
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This build of Venom should easily fit into Bracket 3 (Upgraded) tables. The slightly high count of tutors, particularly <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Survival of the Fittest" href="#" target="_blank">Survival of the Fittest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the "ambush predator" strategy are definitely worth bringing up in pre-game discussions to prevent opponents from feeling completely blindsided by a 36/36 Venom killing them on turn five, however.</p>
<p>I'd recommend this deck to players that enjoy commander damage strategies, graveyard decks, or fellow Spider-Man fans that just appreciate the flavor of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venom, Deadly Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Venom, Deadly Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the strategies he lends himself to. I definitely fall into all three categories.</p>
<p>The only con of this deck I anticipate is that the strategy is very streamlined. The games this deck wins will all look very similar to one another and the games the deck loses likely will as well. This might limit replayability a good bit. But for all I know there will be cards in <em>Marvel's Spider-Man</em> that have yet to be revealed that could add some more mechanical depth to Venom's strategy.</p>
<p>I'm a little sad that there won't be Commander precon decks for <em>Marvel's Spider-Man</em>, as when the set was originally announced I was really hoping for a precon with either Eddie Brock and Venom or Cletus Kasady and Carnage as partner commanders. I'm holding onto some hope that those characters might get printed on dual faced cards that transform like the <em>Innistrad</em> werewolves.</p>
<p>But in the unlikely event that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venom, Deadly Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Venom, Deadly Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the only Symbiote that gets printed, it's cool enough on its own that I could live with that.</p>


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