<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the East Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the East Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.daarken.com/">Daarken</a>)</span></h6>
<p><span style="font-size: 24pt;">All the Single Ladies</span></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>Power Sink</em>, the article series where we take the commanders with abilities and strategies that tend to get singled out and we show everyone they aren't so one-dimensional. This time we're discussing a spicy number from <em>Commander Legends</em>: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the East Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the East Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama of the East Tree"></div></div>
<p>Kodama boasts the powerful ability to put permanents into play from your hand whenever another permanent of equal or greater value enters your battlefield. Cheating mana costs is a powerful ability, but the way Kodama does it is on a whole other level. Because it cares about permanents entering the battlefield, you get the effect if you blink or reanimate something in addition to casting. Lands and tokens will also set off Kodama's ability, and while those tend to have zero mana value, you can still put lands into play, making Kodama a powerful ramp engine. Since the card you're cheating in isn't cast, it makes half the permanents you play uncounterable and they can respond to the ability, they won't even know what you're putting down until it's too late. Really, the only thing holding this ability back is your capacity to get mana and cards in hand, but green is well-suited to solve those problems.</p>
<p>Kodama is already a strong card on its own, but you can add whatever color you like to supplement that incredibly powerful ability thanks to it having <em>Partner</em>. It shows up as the co-chair of 4,601 decks on EDHREC. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the most popular pairing, at 856 decks. Simic is already a famously powerful color identity, and this <em>Partner</em> combination creates a powerful synergy. Once you have a clone of Kodama, the permanent entering from one Kodama will trigger the other, creating a feedback loop and likely empty your hand. This can generate infinite mana with a bounce land, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Simic Growth Chamber" href="#" target="_blank">Simic Growth Chamber</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or draw through your deck with something that draws cards when it enters the battlefield, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keruga, the Macrosage" href="#" target="_blank">Keruga, the Macrosage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tymna the Weaver"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith" href="#" target="_blank">Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another common <em>Partner</em> for Kodama, at 748 decks. This pairing makes an explosive <em>Landfall</em> deck. The Rock token that Toggo makes will trigger Kodama, allowing you to put out another land, making another Rock. This lets you put out every land in your hand, or if you have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gruul Turf" href="#" target="_blank">Gruul Turf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> you can get infinite <em>Landfall</em> triggers for cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tunneling Geopede" href="#" target="_blank">Tunneling Geopede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tireless Provisioner" href="#" target="_blank">Tireless Provisioner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Kodama's third most popular <em>Partner</em> is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tymna the Weaver" href="#" target="_blank">Tymna the Weaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which tends to be a hate bears deck where Kodama's ability to cheat in permanents is excellent for breaking parity with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rule of Law" href="#" target="_blank">Rule of Law</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Emeria" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Emeria</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>With so many <em>Partner</em> options, what are we doing to tone down this singularly strong legend? We're going to ask the same question Ann Wilson of the band <em>Heart </em>has been asking since 1987 and that I ask when I feel compelled to belt out the greatest hits of the 1980s in the shower: How do I get you alone?</p>
<hr />
<p><span style="font-size: 18pt;">How Do I Get You Alone?</span></p>
<p>Though in this case it's more like how do I get you a clone? We're going to eschew giving Kodama a <em>Partner</em> while trying to recreate the effects we can get from having Sakashima with a bunch of clones. Of course, this is less powerful and consistent than having the effect in the command zone and adding a second color, but that's what we do here on <em>Power Sink</em>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="How Do I Get You a Clone" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kodama of the East Tree
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Blade of Selves
*1 Dollhouse of Horrors
*1 Echo Chamber
*1 Esika&#039;s Chariot
*1 God-Pharaoh&#039;s Gift
*1 Helm of the Host
*1 Lithoform Engine
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Minion Reflector
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Mirror Box
*1 Mirror Gallery
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Soul Foundry
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bala Ged Recovery
*1 Collective Unconscious
*1 Cultivate
*1 Full Flowering
*1 Harmonize
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Nissa&#039;s Pilgrimage
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Skyshroud Claim
*1 Three Visits
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Bonders&#039; Enclave
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Cryptic Caves
*1 Crystal Vein
*1 Field of Ruin
*25 Forest
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 High Market
*1 Mirrorpool
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Tectonic Edge
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
*1 Acidic Slime
*1 Aeve, Progenitor Ooze
*1 Beast Whisperer
*1 Biogenic Ooze
*1 Biowaste Blob
*1 Bramble Sovereign
*1 Diligent Farmhand
*1 Garruk&#039;s Packleader
*1 Greenwarden of Murasa
*1 Llanowar Visionary
*1 Mitotic Slime
*1 Pathbreaker Ibex
*1 Psychosis Crawler
*1 Reclamation Sage
*1 Regal Behemoth
*1 Regal Force
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Selesnya Eulogist
*1 Splitting Slime
*1 Temur Sabertooth
*1 Timeless Witness
*1 Wild Beastmaster
*1 Wood Elves
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Deglamer
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Ram Through
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker
*1 Second Harvest
*1 Unravel the Aether
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Dual Nature
*1 Elemental Bond
*1 Evolutionary Leap
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
*1 Greater Good
*1 Vernal Bloom
*1 Wild Growth
*1 Wolfwillow Haven
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>While we won't have Sakashima in the command zone, we still have a few ways to ignore the legend rule. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Gallery" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Gallery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has no extra frills, but it'll get the job done. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Box" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Box</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the added benefit of providing an anthem for some of our creatures. Finally, we can attach <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> to Kodama to start making nonlegendary copies of it, or we can make copies of any other creature we want to attach it to.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirror Gallery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirror Box"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Helm of the Host"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of making copies, it turns out there are a fair number of ways in green and artifacts to copy creatures, though they aren't as flexible or efficient as the effects in blue. Keep in mind our token copies will have a mana value and will let us drop a similarly costed permanent with our commander's ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dual Nature" href="#" target="_blank">Dual Nature</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creates a token copy of any creature that enters the battlefield, though that will also work for our opponents. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minion Reflector" href="#" target="_blank">Minion Reflector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can make us temporary hasty copies of a creature entering the battlefield, which can be good for attacks or getting more out of an ETB effect, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bramble Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Bramble Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes us a permanent token. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of Selves" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of Selves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorpool" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorpool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allow us to make copies of a creature already on the battlefield, while we can copy something on the stack with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lithoform Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Lithoform Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or from our hand with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Foundry" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Foundry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dual Nature"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirrorpool"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lithoform Engine"></div></div>
<p><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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echo Chamber" href="#" target="_blank">Echo Chamber</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give us some ability to copy our opponents' creatures, though we won't have an easy time getting exactly what we want from them. We can make also make token copies of creatures in our graveyard by exiling them with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dollhouse of Horrors" href="#" target="_blank">Dollhouse of Horrors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="God-Pharaoh&#039;s Gift" href="#" target="_blank">God-Pharaoh&#039;s Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This serves as a way to circumvent commander tax if Kodama happens to die and is the simplest way for us to clone Kodama if we've managed to negate the legend rule. Once we've managed to make a few creature token copies, we can use <em>Populate</em> effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selesnya Eulogist" href="#" target="_blank">Selesnya Eulogist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Second Harvest" href="#" target="_blank">Second Harvest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esika&#039;s Chariot" href="#" target="_blank">Esika&#039;s Chariot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to add to our clone army.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Echo Chamber"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="God-Pharaoh&#039;s Gift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Second Harvest"></div></div>
<hr />
<p><span style="font-size: 18pt;">One Way or Another</span></p>
<p>Making multiple Kodama's in mono-green is quite an achievement, but it's to likely to win the game. To that end we have some other cards to help us take down the pod. It turns out Oozes are pretty good at making copies of themselves, and quite a few are self-contained tribal engines, which not only fits our theme, but it's extremely helpful when we're dedicating so many slots to clone effects. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biowaste Blob" href="#" target="_blank">Biowaste Blob</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful self-cloning engine in this deck. Not only does it generate a lot of power over time, but we're looking at getting multiple free four-drops off of our commander's ability every turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Splitting Slime" href="#" target="_blank">Splitting Slime</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works along similar lines, though it's mana-intensive. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mitotic Slime" href="#" target="_blank">Mitotic Slime</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> along with the sacrifice outlets in the deck can flood the board with Ooze tokens, and if we do that, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biogenic Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Biogenic Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make them giant. <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> is past its prime as a format staple, but works wonderfully with our cloning apparatus.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Biowaste Blob"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mitotic Slime"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Biogenic Ooze"></div></div>
<p>Big stompy creatures are is what green does best and there's no reason for us not to make use of that somewhat. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pathbreaker Ibex" href="#" target="_blank">Pathbreaker Ibex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a prolific card in the format, showing up in 10,926 decks on EDHREC. Normally I like to use something more obscure, but this can get out of hand if we can make multiple copies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wild Beastmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Wild Beastmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is similar although we may have to get trample from other sources like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk&#039;s Uprising" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk&#039;s Uprising</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If combat isn't an option, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychosis Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Psychosis Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us leverage the powerful card draw effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Collective Unconscious" href="#" target="_blank">Collective Unconscious</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regal Force" href="#" target="_blank">Regal Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, into life loss.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pathbreaker Ibex"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wild Beastmaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Psychosis Crawler"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Another One Bites the Dust</span></h1>
<p>If I'm being honest, this is far from my favorite brew I've put forth for this series. It's a lot of work to make even the limited clones than you can in mono-green, and I could have a decent <em>Power Sink</em> deck with adding any other blue <em>Partner</em> commander, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esior, Wardwing Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Esior, Wardwing Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but I was stubborn and wanted to stick with a mono-green deck. That said, I think even a brew that I might consider a failure has value. Sometimes a theory craft can help you with other decks, you might consider cards and ideas you wouldn't. Even if I don't build this deck, I think the exploration of how to make copies of creatures outside blue and possibly red decks is useful in future deckbuilding. Maybe I might want to try monowhite clones someday, or maybe the cards I found might be perfect for a commander that is yet to be released.</p>
<p>TL:DR, it's okay to fail and I would love to hear about your deck ideas that didn't quite make it in the comments, especially if it contributed to a brew later down the line.</p>


Power Sink- Kodama, The Loneliest Number

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.ericdeschamps.com/">Eric Deschamps</a> )</h6>
<h1>Slip in the Back Door</h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome to <em>Monomania Takes on Theros</em>. In this article series we build mono-colored decks as a way to explore ramp and draw packages that are synergistic with our particular deck’s strategy, challenging staples and misconceptions about the color pie. For the next few weeks, we're diving into <em>Theros Beyond Death</em>. I've been surprised by the number of mono-colored generals that have been packed into this set! Today’s commander is a new version of an old favorite. He's creeping around in the bushes, waiting for the right moment to call in friends and kick down the back door.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded"></div></div>
<p>Purphoros 2.0 is indeed worthy of his namesake. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the most potent game-enders in EDH, Bronze-Blooded fulfills a few different roles and seems to perform them well. Just like the old Purphoros, this new Purphoros is as hard to kill as Steven Seagall. Not only is this commander indestructible, but when our devotion to red is less than five, it isn’t a creature—only liable to enchantment removal. Enchantment removal is, coincidentally, the least common form of removal in our format. In addition to being slippery, Bronze-Blooded combines two highly-desirable effects in Commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sneak Attack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar"></div></div>
<p>This general is feigning <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sneak Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Sneak Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a creature, an effect that is famously powerful and competitive in other formats. While the sticker price and activation costs are higher, Bronze-Blooded in the command zone gives us access to this effect at all times, allowing us to build around it. Outside of his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sneak Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Sneak Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> impersonation, the new Purphoros also has <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fervor" href="#" target="_blank">Fervor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> stapled on. Even if we choose to hard-cast a hefty creature instead of sneak it in, it'll have haste. This Purphoros reminds me of a supercharged version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ilharg, the Raze-Boar" href="#" target="_blank">Ilharg, the Raze-Boar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of my favorite commander options from last year.</p>
<p>Bronze-Blooded has everything I look for in a mono-colored commander option: he's sticky, opens up a new avenue for a general in his color, and does multiple things well. We should be wary, however, of a few very specific words in his text box. Bronze-Blooded specifies that we may only sneak red or artifact creatures onto the field. That means no Eldrazi. While Kozilek, Ulamog, and Emrakul wouldn’t be superb here either way because their best effects trigger on cast, we will miss <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="It That Betrays" href="#" target="_blank">It That Betrays</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artisan of Kozilek" href="#" target="_blank">Artisan of Kozilek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>I’m already excited, so let’s jump in and see what we can come up with for this yet-to-be-released commander.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Surveillance Equipment</h2>
<p>There are two important concerns we must address while designing a ramp package for this deck. First, speed is our greatest ally with Purphoros. If we can power out our commander early, we can make a huge swing early in the game. We want a few low-cost ramp effects to reach five mana early. Second, our deck really wants to have the ability to cast our big creatures when necessary, so we want ramp effects that can help us leap up the mana curve. To fulfill our first need, I have included several mana rocks, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire Diamond" href="#" target="_blank">Fire Diamond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coldsteel Heart" href="#" target="_blank">Coldsteel Heart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Star Compass" href="#" target="_blank">Star Compass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gilded Lotus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nyx Lotus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Extraplanar Lens"></div></div>
<p>To fulfill the second need, cards like the ones featured above will do perfectly. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilded Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Gilded Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a staple of our format and can provide us with a steep mid-game power spike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extraplanar Lens" href="#" target="_blank">Extraplanar Lens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is my preferred mana-doubling effect, but we could also consider <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caged Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Caged Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gauntlet of Power" href="#" target="_blank">Gauntlet of Power</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> here.</p>
<p>The new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nyx Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Nyx Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a low floor, potentially only generating zero mana, but it could also potentially produce five or more mana. That kind of mana production will ensure that we can cast anything we may have in our hand under the right circumstances. I'm not overly fond of this card, but in this deck we can construct plays in which it is decent even without much <em>Devotion</em> on the field at the start of our turn. Consider for example, activating Purphoros twice in a turn to drop <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tyrant of Discord" href="#" target="_blank">Tyrant of Discord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avatar of Slaughter" href="#" target="_blank">Avatar of Slaughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto the field. Suddenly we can tap our Lotus for six mana.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Getting the Gang Together</h2>
<p>To fully take advantage of this commander, we will need a potent card advantage engine to ensure that we actually have creatures in hand to cheat into play. Unlike most mono-red commanders, impulsive draw isn’t particularly powerful in our deck. Because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only abuses cards in our hand, exiling cards from the top of our deck doesn’t advance our overall strategy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sandstone Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knollspine Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Mage"></div></div>
<p>These three cards play into our general’s particularities quite well, each drawing a significant number of cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sandstone Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Sandstone Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an incredible card in mono-red. As the red player, we will almost never be the player with the highest number of cards in hand.</p>
<p>On any given turn, we can activate Purphoros once and drop a terrifying creature, hit an opponent, then sneak in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knollspine Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Knollspine Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to draw a fistful of cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also acts as an extremely powerful wheel effect. At seven mana, each of these would be difficult to cast on their own, but with our commander, we can take advantage of these effects for three mana each.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hoarding Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div></div>
<p>In this deck we can circumvent the downsides of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoarding Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hoarding Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as well. When we sacrifice <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoarding Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hoarding Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at the end of turn using Bronze-Blooded's ability, we draw the card we searched out earlier. To summarize, in addition to its flat-rate mode, this Dragon can act as a three-mana tutor that also deals four damage to something. Etali is also exceptional here. Whether we sneak her in or pay in full, we avoid her greatest weakness: the lack of haste. With Purphoros, we're all but guaranteed three cards off the top of our opponents’ decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pilgrim’s Eye"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyscanner"></div></div>
<p>Finally, creatures that can replace themselves fit nicely in this deck, especially as artifacts. Because we're naturally running cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorworks" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this type of effect is a low-risk option that can turn into a decent little engine. Putting one of these under a <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> can be a good mid-game option to keep up on cards in red.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>The Deck</strong></h2>
<p>Now that we have strategies for ramping and drawing, let’s put it all together and see how we’ll make this new Purphoros sing and how he’ll compete with his stellar previous iteration. As always, season to taste.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Erratic Portal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flameshadow Conjuring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warstorm Surge"></div></div>
<p>Among the other notable inclusions, we have cards that try to minimize the downside of sacrificing our giant monsters at the end of turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erratic Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Erratic Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for one, can allow us to return our most powerful Purphoros targets to our hand, allowing us to reuse threats each turn. While only a one-shot effect, <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> can fill a similar role and help us double up on important creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sundial of the Infinite" href="#" target="_blank">Sundial of the Infinite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can keep the creatures in play by ending the urn in response to Purphoros's sacrifice trigger at the end of the turn! Meanwhile, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flameshadow Conjuring" href="#" target="_blank">Flameshadow Conjuring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minion Reflector" href="#" target="_blank">Minion Reflector</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> are powerhouses here. Whenever we sneak in a big creature, we can duplicate it for a low cost. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warstorm Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Warstorm Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of our more powerful game-ending effects in this deck and will help us dome our opponents for large chunks of damage at a time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Sneakers and Creepers" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Dockside Extortionist
*1 Filigree Familiar
*1 Pilgrim&#039;s Eye
*1 Skittering Surveyor
*1 Skyscanner
*1 Ancestral Statue
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Cavalier of Flame
*1 Clone Shell
*1 Hoarding Dragon
*1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
*1 Malignus
*1 Mindclaw Shaman
*1 Duplicant
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Fiendish Duo
*1 Ryusei, the Falling Star
*1 Scourge of the Throne
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
*1 Balefire Dragon
*1 Dragon Mage
*1 Knollspine Dragon
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Sandstone Oracle
*1 Spawn of Thraxes
*1 Terror of Mount Velus
*1 Tyrant of Discord
*1 Avatar of Slaughter
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Arcbond
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Savage Beating
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Chain Reaction
*1 Relentless Assault
*1 World at War
*1 Blasphemous Act
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Coldsteel Heart
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Star Compass
*1 Thaumatic Compass
*1 Treasure Map
*1 Extraplanar Lens
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Victory Chimes
*1 Sundial of the Infinite
*1 Erratic Portal
*1 Nyx Lotus
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Minion Reflector
*1 Mirrorworks
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Tectonic Reformation
*1 Aggravated Assault
*1 Flameshadow Conjuring
*1 Mirror March
*1 Warstorm Surge
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arch of Orazca
*1 Desert of the Fervent
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Scrying Sheets
*1 Smoldering Crater
*26 Snow-Covered Mountain
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 Zoetic Cavern
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>So what do you all think? Have you built a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck before? Does this Bronze-Blooded God excite you enough to build a deck? What sorts of creatures would you want to abuse? What did I miss? Let me know in the comments below! Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. I’ll see you all on down the road.</p>


minion reflector

Power Sink- Kodama, The Loneliest Number

Monomania Takes on Theros – Sneakers and Creepers