<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hermes, Overseer of Elpis" href="#" target="_blank">Hermes, Overseer of Elpis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://darius_zablockis.artstation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Darius Zablockis</a></em></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hermes, Overseer of Elpis" href="#" target="_blank">Hermes, Overseer of Elpis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a new commander that comes out flying like the eponymous Greek God with winged shoes. Birds of a feather stick together, and Hermes knows how to get the flock out of here!</p>
<p>Interestingly, Hermes pulls the deck in a couple of different directions, as he makes Birds similar way to the way <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murmuring Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Murmuring Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does, and then capitalizes off of our small, evasive creatures. There’s certainly something to be said for building this as a Spellslinger deck, perhaps with incidental other Birds to take advantage of the secondary ability. But Birds have been struggling to find a solid leader for a while, and Hermes might just be the deity for the job.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hermes, Overseer of Elpis"></div></div>
<p>Like Soldiers from last week, Birds were featured in <em>Onslaught</em> block as a blue-splash-white pairing for Limited purposes. Many leaked into white and shared the Soldier type, and the Aven have historically been Bird Wizards.</p>
<p>More recently, there have been mixes of anthropomorphic birds like Kefnet’s followers in places like <em>Amonkhet</em>, and standard Birds, such as the infamous <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Crow" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Crow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> memes. In general, Birds tend to be small flying creatures with a heavy focus in blue, outclassed in the skies by Sphinxes, Dragons, Angels, and Demons.</p>
<p>The low mana value does give some benefits, however, as they offer flexibility in mana. While those big monsters’ controllers are tapping out, the Bird player can leave mana up for interaction, which is where Hermes’s focus on instants and sorceries comes in.</p>
<h2>What Does Hermes, Overseer of Elpis Do?</h2>
<p>Hermes is a powerful <em>Magic</em> card on its own, and it gets even better when it’s built around. It has a mana value of four, which is reasonable for a creature that makes the cards in the deck better, but not so much for a centerpiece card. As a Spellslinger commander, Hermes does a decent <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talrand, Sky Summoner" href="#" target="_blank">Talrand, Sky Summoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> impression, making 1/1 Birds with flying and vigilance instead of 2/2 flying Drakes.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Talrand, Sky Summoner"></div></div>
<p>As a Bird commander, however, Hermes scries 2 whenever or more Birds attack, so it can come down and generate immediate value if we cast a Bird anywhere on turns 1-3. Scrying 2 every turn, regardless of whether we cast a nonland spell, is strong, but not necessary for the deck to function. As a result, Hermes is better served as a Bird deck that's better with him in play but can function without him, than as a Spellslinger deck that needs him out to generate value for the primary plan.</p>
<p>Other options do exist for Bird commanders, but most add colors for more flexibility or options, or lean into other mechanics and just happen to be Birds.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tawnos, the Toymaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Choco, Seeker of Paradise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gwaihir the Windlord"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tawnos, the Toymaker" href="#" target="_blank">Tawnos, the Toymaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds green and doubles Birds, but also doubles Beasts, so it’s really not a proper Bird commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akim, the Soaring Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Akim, the Soaring Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choco, Seeker of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Choco, Seeker of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work with Birds, but are more closely related to tokens and Chocobos specifically.</p>
<p>Kangee has two cards that are decent commanders: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee, Aerie Keeper" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee, Aerie Keeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> costs at least seven mana to enter with any Feather counters, but does pump all Birds for those counters, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kangee, Sky Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Kangee, Sky Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> pumps creatures with flying, regardless of type, so it’s less of a Bird commander and more of a Flying commander.</p>
<p>Probably the best option is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gwaihir the Windlord" href="#" target="_blank">Gwaihir the Windlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who gives Birds vigilance and can reduce its cost if two or more cards were drawn the turn it was cast. But that needs more of a focus on card draw, and the six-mana cost gets prohibitive really fast.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kastral, the Windcrested"></div></div>
<p>What Hermes does that the others don’t is make Birds <em>and</em> makes Birds better. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kastral, the Windcrested" href="#" target="_blank">Kastral, the Windcrested</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is probably the next-best Bird commander, adding white, being a Bird and a flyer, and triggering on combat damage with one or more Birds. With Hermes, however, the Birds just need to attack; they don’t need to connect.</p>
<p>Oddly enough, that means that Hermes can dispatch Birds as scouts to attack into larger boards for the scries, which Kastral can’t do, despite being a Scout itself!</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Hermes, Overseer of Elpis</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rise of Eagles"></div></div>
<p>While Hermes doesn’t need other Birds or Bird producers, it functions better as a Bird deck that wants him in play but doesn’t require it. As a result, we’re packing a solid amount of other Birds and Bird producers, such that the deck can keep attacking with small flyers, even without Hermes out there.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murmuring Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Murmuring Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the clear analogy, as its effect is similar to what Hermes does. We do need to be careful with the board state, however, as Mystic’s Birds don’t have vigilance, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise of Eagles" href="#" target="_blank">Rise of Eagles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s have different stats. <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> is a necessary piece to protect Hermes, as it’s not likely to be drawn into combat, but could be a focus for removal. In general, our Birds are small, mana-efficient flyers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coastal Piracy"></div></div>
<p>Death by a million pecks might sound like a frustratingly slow way to work through our opponents, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coastal Piracy" href="#" target="_blank">Coastal Piracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects can bust open those windows of opportunity. An advantage that a large number of hungry beaks has over rows and rows of Dragon fangs is that each beak peck is a separate trigger. Three 2/2s is better than one 6/6 when each is pumped or when each triggers on connecting with the opponent.</p>
<p>The disparity gets even bigger when combined with a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arm with Aether" href="#" target="_blank">Arm with Aether</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which bounces a creature each time one of ours connects. That way, we don’t have to worry about the backswing!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wash Out"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of backswings and avoiding them, we want to play some removal to avoid getting smacked or stonewalled by larger creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pongify" href="#" target="_blank">Pongify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and related effects are excellent sources of removal because they replace larger threats or flying blockers with creatures that don’t fly. As a result, the body we leave behind is largely inconsequential.</p>
<p>We can also sweep those tokens away with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wash Out" href="#" target="_blank">Wash Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can act as the sort of backbreaking board wipes that double as finishers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Counterspell"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of backbreaking board wipes, one of the weaknesses of a Hermes Bird deck is that it's susceptible to getting blown out by overextending.</p>
<p>A Hermes Spellslinger deck can re-cast the commander and build back the board state quickly, but runs the risk of the commander getting too expensive from targeted and mass destruction. A Hermes Bird deck is more resilient to targeted removal because it's less dependent on Hermes, but needs to avoid overextending into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect.</p>
<p>While playing around them takes time, patience, and practice, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects can be invaluable, but it's important to use them properly. This is not a control deck; we’re not aiming to counter everything. We’re not even aiming to counter opposing threats. Our counters are in our deck to protect our board.</p>
<p>If we use them at other times, we may wind up losing counter wars at pivotal times. If you do find yourself losing such a counter war, try looking at your grave at the end of the game and ask yourself if you didn’t see them or if you burned them too early. That’ll help you figure out if you really need more or if you need to use them more sparingly.</p>
<h2>How Does This Hermes, Overseer of Elpis Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p>Hermes is a tempo deck, which makes it an aggro deck with some light control elements. The big difference between tempo decks and aggro/control decks is that tempo decks are aggressive decks that use control elements like removal and counterspells to create openings to push through attacks and to protect threats, while aggro/control decks look to control the board long enough for the aggressive elements to close the game out.</p>
<p>This is not a control deck in any sense of the term, and it lacks the resources to effectively control three opponents simultaneously. What it can do is beat down with small flyers, using counters to keep beating down and removal to open opponents’ boards to being attacked.</p>
<h2>Hermes, Overseer of Elpis Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Hermes, Overseer of Elpis Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Hermes, Overseer of Elpis
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aether Channeler
*1 Augury Owl
*1 Clinquant Skymage
*1 Crookclaw Elder
*1 Cruel Witness
*1 Curiosity Crafter
*1 Enduring Curiosity
*1 Esior, Wardwing Familiar
*1 Harrier Strix
*1 Keeper of the Nine Gales
*1 Knightfisher
*1 Ledger Shredder
*1 Mist Raven
*1 Mockingbird
*1 Murder of Crows
*1 Murmuring Mystic
*1 Plumecreed Escort
*1 Sage Aven
*1 Sage Owl
*1 Soaring Show-Off
*1 Spire Owl
*1 Storm Crow
*1 Strix Lookout
*1 Thieving Magpie
*1 Thrummingbird
*1 Ultimecia, Temporal Threat
*1 Vexing Radgull
*1 Warden of Evos Isle
*1 Wingblade Disciple
*1 Zephyr Falcon
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Airborne Aid
*1 Alrund&#039;s Epiphany
*1 Arm with Aether
*1 Curse of the Swine
*1 Open into Wonder
*1 Ravenform
*1 Rise of Eagles
*1 Sleep
*1 Spectral Deluge
*1 Wash Out
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Coastal Piracy
*1 Reconnaissance Mission
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 The Indomitable
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Counterspell
*1 Disallow
*1 Disdainful Stroke
*1 Dissipate
*1 Negate
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Resculpt
*1 Strix Serenade
*1 Swan Song
*1 Tale&#039;s End
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*40 Island
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This is a moderately fast tempo deck, seeking to attack with small evasive threats while protecting its board and removing blockers. Attacking draws us cards and gains information and resources, enabling future attacks. The low mana value of our Birds gives us the flexibility to go wide and cast spells. This flexibility makes Hermes a better Bird commander than a Spellslinger one.</p>
<p>This deck is for those who enjoy attacking, as well as those who enjoy Delver and Canadian Threshold decks. Those decks are similarly aggressive tempo decks, built to beat down while using control elements to enable that aggression and keep windows for attack open.</p>


Building a Bird Typal Deck with Hermes, Overseer of Elpis

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar, King of Figaro" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar, King of Figaro</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://jakemurraystudio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Murray</a></em></p>
<p>As an avid commander player, I'm always trying to find unique ideas to build decks around, and when I saw <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar, King of Figaro" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar, King of Figaro</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> during <em>Final Fantasy</em> spoiler season, there was something about it I couldn't ignore.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edgar, King of Figaro"></div></div>
<p>The first part is incredibly powerful on its own. Drawing a ridiculous amount of cards attached to an "enters" trigger seems extremely good. However, I was drawn in by the second line of text, and it has haunted me ever since.</p>
<p>Auto-winning your first coin flip? That <em>has</em> to be good, right?</p>
<p>Upon closer inspection, most cards that flip coins are based in red, <em>not</em> blue. We have two amazing coin-flip decks that live in the Izzet world with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> partnered with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Okaun, Eye of Chaos" href="#" target="_blank">Okaun, Eye of Chaos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yusri, Fortune&#039;s Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Yusri, Fortune&#039;s Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Okaun, Eye of Chaos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yusri, Fortune&#039;s Flame"></div></div>
<p>Would Edgar be a slam dunk inclusion in those decks? Yes, absolutely. But...what about his own coin flip deck? Is that even possible?</p>
<p>Let me show you what I have in mind...</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Edgar, King of Figaro...Our version</h2>
<h3>Category #1: The Flippers</h3>
<p>As previously stated, not a lot of "flip a coin" cards exist in mono-blue, so the list here is pretty small. Ironically enough, they're all artifacts, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as the only exception.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Creepy Doll"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boompile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crooked Scales"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Creepy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Creepy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a funny little effect that can act as the perfect blocker;</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boompile" href="#" target="_blank">Boompile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> leaves a board wipe completely up to chance;</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crooked Scales" href="#" target="_blank">Crooked Scales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an expensive, but humorous, way to remove a problematic creature;</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Lyre" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Lyre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can punish opponents when we have a critical mass of creatures;</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gold Saucer" href="#" target="_blank">The Gold Saucer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a land that can create Treasures in a pinch;</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorcerer&#039;s Strongbox" href="#" target="_blank">Sorcerer&#039;s Strongbox</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can potentially allow us to draw three cards;</li>
<li>and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krark&#039;s Thumb" href="#" target="_blank">Krark&#039;s Thumb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us have more control over our flips.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Lyre"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Gold Saucer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krark&#039;s Thumb"></div></div>
<p>Obviously, these cards aren't incredible, but that leads us perfectly into the next category...</p>
<h3>Category #2: Bridging the Gap = Copying Artifacts</h3>
<p>The best way to get the most out of our pretty underwhelming coin flippers, is simple: copy them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clever Impersonator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Metamorph"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Machine God&#039;s Effigy"></div></div>
<p>This can be through permanents that enter as copies, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clever Impersonator" href="#" target="_blank">Clever Impersonator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Metamorph" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Metamorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Machine God&#039;s Effigy" href="#" target="_blank">Machine God&#039;s Effigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Or it can be through spells that create token copies, like:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Steps Ahead" href="#" target="_blank">Three Steps Ahead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam" href="#" target="_blank">Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echo Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Echo Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cackling Counterpart" href="#" target="_blank">Cackling Counterpart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Replication Technique" href="#" target="_blank">Replication Technique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quasiduplicate" href="#" target="_blank">Quasiduplicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p>Or it can be through consistent copies being made every turn with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extravagant Replication" href="#" target="_blank">Extravagant Replication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mechanized Production" href="#" target="_blank">Mechanized Production</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nexus of Becoming" href="#" target="_blank">Nexus of Becoming</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Steps Ahead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Echo Storm"></div></div>
<p>We may need our artifacts to be creatures in order to copy them, that's why we run cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn, Silver Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Karn, Silver Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn, the Great Creator" href="#" target="_blank">Karn, the Great Creator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karn, Silver Golem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karn, the Great Creator"></div></div>
<p>Now, I'm sure you're wondering, Why would we waste our time copying cards that aren't amazing? And that's a great question. The coin flip guarantee on our commander is cool, sure, but this deck and its copy shenanigans has a trick up its sleeve...or should I say a <em>trap</em>...</p>
<h3>Category #3: Booby Trap(s)</h3>
<p>No good king is complete without a little <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Booby Trap" href="#" target="_blank">Booby Trap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to protect his castle. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Booby Trap" href="#" target="_blank">Booby Trap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a hilariously janky card that I've never seen in Commander, but it's also a card that is <em>begging</em> to be copied.</p>
<p>Just think about it: you have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lantern of Insight" href="#" target="_blank">Lantern of Insight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in play so you know what your opponents have coming. You play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Booby Trap" href="#" target="_blank">Booby Trap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> naming an opponent and their top card. You copy <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Booby Trap" href="#" target="_blank">Booby Trap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, choosing another opponent and naming their top card. And so on.</p>
<p>It's "Magical Christmas Land," sure, but it might just be crazy enough to work. Ten damage is not a small amount.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Booby Trap"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lantern of Insight"></div></div>
<p>The deck is functionally a copy-centric deck, where you want to copy your coin flippers, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Booby Trap" href="#" target="_blank">Booby Trap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or both.</p>
<p>Janky? Sure. Fun? Absolutely.</p>
<h2>Edgar, King of Figaro Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>Check out my decklist below!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Edgar, King of Figaro and his Booby Traps" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Edgar, King of Figaro
[/Commander]
[Enchantments]
*1 Artificer Class
*1 Court of Vantress
*1 Extravagant Replication
*1 Mechanized Production
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Adric, Mathematical Genius
*1 Astral Dragon
*1 Clever Impersonator
*1 Creepy Doll
*1 Displacer Kitten
*1 Drafna, Founder of Lat-Nam
*1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Faerie Mastermind
*1 Gogo, Master of Mimicry
*1 Hulking Metamorph
*1 Karn, Silver Golem
*1 Phyrexian Metamorph
*1 Threefold Thunderhulk
*1 Treasure Mage
*1 Trinket Mage
*1 Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Echo Storm
*1 Fabricate
*1 Quasiduplicate
*1 Relm&#039;s Sketching
*1 Replication Technique
*1 Season of Weaving
*1 Will of the Temur
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Booby Trap
*1 Boompile
*1 Crooked Scales
*1 Crystal Skull, Isu Spyglass
*1 Goblin Lyre
*1 Grinning Totem
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Krark&#039;s Thumb
*1 Lantern of Insight
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Lithoform Engine
*1 Machine God&#039;s Effigy
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Misleading Signpost
*1 Nexus of Becoming
*1 Prototype Portal
*1 Sculpting Steel
*1 Simulacrum Synthesizer
*1 Skyclave Relic
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sorcerer&#039;s Strongbox
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wirefly Hive
*1 Worldwalker Helm
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Cackling Counterpart
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Three Steps Ahead
*1 Whir of Invention
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Karn, the Great Creator
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Academy Ruins
*1 Archway of Innovation
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Crystal Vein
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Emergence Zone
*1 Fomori Vault
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*17 Island
*1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
*1 Mirrorpool
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Saprazzan Skerry
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Talon Gates of Madara
*1 The Gold Saucer
*1 The Mycosynth Gardens
*1 Treasure Vault
[/Lands]"></span></div>


Brewing Around....Booby Trap? Starring: Edgar, King of Figaro

Gogo's Bizarre Adventure - Gogo, Master of Mimicry Commander Deck Tech

Matoya, Archon Elder - Final Fantasy Bracket 2 Commander Deck

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola Rhul" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola Rhul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://immanuelacrovius.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Immanuela Crovius</a></em></p>
<p>Mono-blue is a tricky color in Commander, as it usually screams control. I'm not much of a control player, but I do love value, which is something Y'shtola Rhul provides in spades.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola Rhul"></div></div>
<p>Not being well-versed in <em>Final Fantasy</em> didn’t prevent my previous brewing of the mono-red legend, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firion, Wild Rose Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Firion, Wild Rose Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and it certainly didn’t prevent me brewing this commander either. Y’shtola has a crazy Esper counterpart from one of the <em>Final Fantasy</em> precons in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but I think this iteration feels more fun. If you like “enters” triggers and taking a lot of game actions, this is the deck for you.</p>
<p>The first thing I noticed about this card is the ability to effectively double our end step. I immediately looked for anything and everything in blue that deals with the end step, and the list was, unfortunately, very small. Sure, double triggering a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chimil, the Inner Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Chimil, the Inner Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wondrous Crucible" href="#" target="_blank">Wondrous Crucible</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems like a ton of fun, but the list pretty much ends there, so I leaned hard into the first ability.</p>
<p>The first ability reminded me of an old <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa, Deep-Dwelling" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa, Deep-Dwelling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> build I had, and that was a deck I loved dearly. Two <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> effects on every one of our turns? Sign me up! With this kind of deck, especially when most blue "enters" triggers can be pretty mean, I will warn my readers that my build of this commander fits solidly into Bracket 4.</p>
<h2>Category #1: End Step Triggers</h2>
<p>As I previously mentioned, our options are pretty limited in mono-blue when it comes to end step triggers, but that doesn't mean the limited options are bad. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wondrous Crucible" href="#" target="_blank">Wondrous Crucible</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chimil, the Inner Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Chimil, the Inner Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> let us cast spells for free; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Palantír of Orthanc" href="#" target="_blank">Palantír of Orthanc</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a terrific source of card draw or incidental burn, depending on what our opponents choose; and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primordial Mist" href="#" target="_blank">Primordial Mist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us manifest creatures that we can flip up later with our commanders first ability (flickering a face down creature makes it return face up; this concept will come up later).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chimil, the Inner Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wondrous Crucible"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Palantír of Orthanc"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primordial Mist"></div></div>
<h2>Category #2: "Enters" Triggers</h2>
<p dir="auto">As mentioned before, this deck is full of creatures with enters triggers, but I’m just going to highlight some of the heavy hitters here. We have creatures that cover anything you may need over the course of a game:</p>
<p dir="auto">Need to "borrow" a creature or spell? Try <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sower of Temptation" href="#" target="_blank">Sower of Temptation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Agent of Treachery" href="#" target="_blank">Agent of Treachery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diluvian Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Diluvian Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sower of Temptation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Agent of Treachery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diluvian Primordial"></div></div></p>
<p dir="auto">Need to ramp? Try <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrine Drake" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrine Drake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Solemn Simulacrum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peregrine Drake"></div></div></p>
<p dir="auto">Need to remove troublesome creatures? Try <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amphin Mutineer" href="#" target="_blank">Amphin Mutineer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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="Exclusion Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Exclusion Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Amphin Mutineer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meteor Golem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exclusion Mage"></div></div></p>
<p dir="auto">How about drawing some cards? Try <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visionary" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visionary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overlord of the Floodpits" href="#" target="_blank">Overlord of the Floodpits</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visionary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulldrifter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overlord of the Floodpits"></div></div></p>
<h2>Category #3: Our Secret Gameplan = Face Down Creatures</h2>
<p>I told you I would come back to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primordial Mist" href="#" target="_blank">Primordial Mist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! Manifest creatures, or face down creatures in general, is our secret gameplan. Why? Because, like I said before, if we flicker a face down creature, that card returns to play <em>face up</em>. For this reason, we have some really heavy hitters in the deck in the hopes that we can execute this "cheating of mana cost".</p>
<p>The other ways we have to put things into face down are cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="They Came from the Pipes" href="#" target="_blank">They Came from the Pipes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptic Coat" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptic Coat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cursed Windbreaker" href="#" target="_blank">Cursed Windbreaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="They Came from the Pipes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cryptic Coat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cursed Windbreaker"></div></div>
<p>When we have face down creatures, we can turn up crazy game-ending threats, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Void Winnower" href="#" target="_blank">Void Winnower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blightsteel Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Void Winnower"></div></div>
<p>We also have standard all-star <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abhorrent Oculus" href="#" target="_blank">Abhorrent Oculus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in this deck, as it's another great way to give us face down creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abhorrent Oculus"></div></div>
<h2>Category #4: Infinite Combos</h2>
<p>I would be remiss if I didn't mention the infinite combos that I included in my decklist. The main combo involves an old format boogeyman, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadeye Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Deadeye Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Pairing it with any of our enters creatures is very good, but pairing it with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrine Drake" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrine Drake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants us infinite mana. Infinite mana isn't an immediate guaranteed win, but it's certainly a good start.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadeye Navigator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peregrine Drake"></div></div>
<p>The other combo in the deck is one that people may find frustrating, so be warned. This combo involves three cards: our commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Time Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>It works like this: we cast Time Warp, giving us an extra turn. During the extra turn, we play Archaeomancer to return Time Warp to our hand and cast it again. If our commander is on the board at this point, we can choose to blink the Archaeomancer, returning Time Warp to our hand again. This generates a loop of infinite turns, which, again, doesn't necessarily win the game, but it's a huge step towards doing so.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola Rhul"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archaeomancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Time Warp"></div></div>
<h2>Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>That will do it for our deck tech on Y'shtola Rhul! I hope this article has persuaded you to brew around this very strong and fun commander!</p>
<p>Check out my decklist below!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Y’shtola Rhul" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Y&#039;shtola Rhul
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chimil, the Inner Sun
*1 Cryptic Coat
*1 Cursed Windbreaker
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Palantír of Orthanc
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 Scroll of Fate
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sword of Hearth and Home
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Abhorrent Oculus
*1 Aether Adept
*1 Aether Channeler
*1 Agent of Treachery
*1 Amphin Mutineer
*1 Archaeomancer
*1 Blightsteel Colossus
*1 Circuit Mender
*1 Deadeye Navigator
*1 Diluvian Primordial
*1 Dour Port-Mage
*1 Exclusion Mage
*1 Fblthp, the Lost
*1 Glitch Interpreter
*1 Kozilek, the Broken Reality
*1 Man-o&#039;-War
*1 Master of Waves
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Mulldrifter
*1 Naga Fleshcrafter
*1 Overlord of the Floodpits
*1 Peregrine Drake
*1 Phyrexian Metamorph
*1 Serum Visionary
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sower of Temptation
*1 Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
*1 Tomb of Horrors Adventurer
*1 Venser, Shaper Savant
*1 Void Winnower
*1 Whirler Rogue
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Become Anonymous
*1 Cyber Conversion
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Candlekeep Sage
*1 Imprisoned in the Moon
*1 Mirror Room // Fractured Realm
*1 Primordial Mist
*1 Propaganda
*1 They Came from the Pipes
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Quantum Misalignment
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Time Warp
*1 Unnerving Grasp
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Archway
*1 Castle Vantress
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Conduit Pylons
*25 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Talon Gates of Madara
[/Lands]"></span></div>


mono blue commander

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Gogo's Bizarre Adventure - Gogo, Master of Mimicry Commander Deck Tech

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Brewing Around A Final Fantasy Commander - Y'shtola Rhul

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