<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zuko, Avatar Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Zuko, Avatar Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://rafater.artstation.com/">Rafater</a></em></p>
<p><em>Magic</em>'s<em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla"> Avatar: The Last Airbender</a></em> set may be a few months away, but we've already gotten a glimpse of several powerful commanders it'll bring into the format. One such legend is none other than everyone's favorite honor-driven prince, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zuko, Avatar Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Zuko, Avatar Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card perfectly captures his character in the early episodes of the series as he sets out with a ship full of Fire Nation soldiers, dead set on finding the Avatar.</p>
<h2>Hey, Zuko Here</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zuko, Avatar Hunter"></div></div>
<p>Hailing from the set's <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tle"><em>Jumpstart</em> product</a>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zuko, Avatar Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Zuko, Avatar Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be your own personal army in a can. When I read that he creates a creature token whenever you cast a red spell, the main goal of the deck started to become clear: set yourself up for one big turn. If you're able lay low in the early game and then simply deploy a few payoffs before casting your commander, it can make for a mid to late game for the ages.</p>
<p>So, as we look through this deck, you'll notice there's a few ways to obtain incremental advantage in your set up phase, which will lead to big bursts of value when you're ready to go off. I highly recommend playtesting the deck on Archidekt once you're finished with this article to get a true sense of how powerful this strategy can be.</p>
<p>Speaking of power, there's something we need to get out of the way first and foremost...</p>
<h2>The Infinite Combo</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grinning Ignus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Runaway Steam-Kin"></div></div>
<p>Even though this deck is budget-friendly, that doesn't mean it can't contain a <em>nasty</em> two-card combo. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grinning Ignus" href="#" target="_blank">Grinning Ignus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Runaway Steam-Kin" href="#" target="_blank">Runaway Steam-Kin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> interact with each other in a very interesting way. Below is a brief overview of the combo, but you can read more about it <a href="https://edhrec.com/combos/mono-red/411-3101">here on EDHREC.</a></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-25-170949.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-163248" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-25-170949-300x199.png" alt="" width="868" height="576" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-25-170949-300x199.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-25-170949-1024x680.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-25-170949-768x510.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-25-170949.png 1185w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 868px) 100vw, 868px" /></a></p>
<p>As you can see, this interaction will give you infinite Soldier tokens if <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zuko, Avatar Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Zuko, Avatar Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is on the board. That would squarely put this deck in Bracket (3) Upgraded, since those lists can contain late game two-card infinite combos. However, be sure to bring it up in your pregame discussion so your opponents aren't caught off guard.</p>
<p>This list already runs several cards that would close out the game right away if all the pieces are in place. When this combo is paired with effects that burn the table when creatures enter, you can reduce your opponents' life totals to zero on the spot. Also, if you have any haste-enablers, you can take everyone out with one big attack. Let's take a look at some of those spells now.</p>
<h2>Burn Triggers</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impact Tremors"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Weftstalker Ardent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Molten Gatekeeper"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: a true Commander all-star, this enchantment is a cheap and efficient way to add damage to every creature that joins your ranks.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weftstalker Ardent" href="#" target="_blank">Weftstalker Ardent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: new from <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/eoe">Edge of Eternities</a></em>, this creature can spend turn after turn pinging your opponents if you cast it for its regular cost, or you can warp it in for a single turn when you need that burn damage the most.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Molten Gatekeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Molten Gatekeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: here's another useful way to lower your foes' life totals, all while having that unearth option to temporarily get it back on the turn you're ready to close out the game.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Haste-Enablers</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mass Hysteria"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roar of Resistance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitter Reunion"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mass Hysteria" href="#" target="_blank">Mass Hysteria</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: a simple and cheap way to add haste to your board, but it comes with a price: the entire table also gets that effect, so be sure to only cast this when you're ready to pop off with your deck.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roar of Resistance" href="#" target="_blank">Roar of Resistance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: even though this enchantment only gives haste to your tokens, that'll usually be the way you close out games with this list. Plus, it also offers some tricky combat politics with that pump effect, which can even benefit your opponents' creatures if they attack someone else.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitter Reunion" href="#" target="_blank">Bitter Reunion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: this spell works great in the deck by giving you card selection in the early game and then granting haste to your whole board for only one mana in the late game.</li>
</ul>
<h2>What Makes up the Deck</h2>
<p>Now it's time to focus on the rest of the deck and what makes up the 99. As stated before, the gameplan is to build up a big board of value pieces and then capitalize on it by chaining spells together once your commander is out.</p>
<h2>Mana Advantage</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cursed Mirror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunset Strikemaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zookeeper Mechan"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cursed Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Cursed Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: not only is this a ramp spell that triggers your commander, but on the turn you're looking to go off, it can come down as a copy of the best creature on the board to assist you with closing out the game.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunset Strikemaster" href="#" target="_blank">Sunset Strikemaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: this creature fills two whole roles in this deck, providing ramp and even removal all on its own.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zookeeper Mechan" href="#" target="_blank">Zookeeper Mechan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: here's a brand-new mana dork that's a great blocker when you need it and even gives you a way to pump a creature if you really need it... I mean really, really need it, because that ability costs a lot to activate.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Geyser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glittering Stockpile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Battle Hymn"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Geyser" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Geyser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: when it comes time to close out the game, this spell will be your best friend. The sheer amount of mana this offers will give you all the fuel you need to chain your red spells together.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glittering Stockpile" href="#" target="_blank">Glittering Stockpile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: this mana rock helps you cast spells as the game goes on, all while growing counters that can be cashed in for a burst of mana during the late game.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Battle Hymn" href="#" target="_blank">Battle Hymn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: if the deck is building out a big board, like I know it can, this spell could offer you a huge chunk of mana to keep your engine rolling when you need it the most.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Card Advantage</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inspired Tinkering"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snort"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inspired Tinkering" href="#" target="_blank">Inspired Tinkering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: a great mix of a ritual and card advantage, this sorcery is your best friend in the deck. On the turn you pop off, this gives you everything you need.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snort" href="#" target="_blank">Snort</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: something I consistently noticed while playtesting this deck is that after your deck pops off, you can sometimes be stuck with only a few cards in hand. This wheel effect will help ensure you don't get caught defenseless after a win attempt goes awry.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner" href="#" target="_blank">Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: not only does this legend offer evasion to your tokens, it also can make for a huge hand refill when all of them swing into your opponents.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark-Dweller Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brazen Cannonade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ecstatic Beauty"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark-Dweller Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Dark-Dweller Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: sometimes your Soldier tokens will need to be sacrificed for the cause and get cashed in for card advantage. The Dark-Dweller is a great way to ensure you don't get stuck without action for your gameplan.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brazen Cannonade" href="#" target="_blank">Brazen Cannonade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: since this deck is designed to be pretty aggressive, you're bound to have a lot of big combat steps during your turn. Not only does this make your opponents have tricky blocks, but it also gives you access to an additional card each turn.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ecstatic Beauty" href="#" target="_blank">Ecstatic Beauty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: three mana for the ability to play three new cards is a solid rate. However, in this deck, you can suspend this spell for only one mana and time it out to resolve on the turn you're ready to go off with your commander.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Bursts of Spells</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invoke Calamity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mizzix&#039;s Mastery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ignite the Future"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invoke Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Invoke Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: this is a card I've wanted to build with for a while and this deck is perfect for it. It offers you three spells in one, which means you'll also create three Soldiers with Zuko.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mizzix&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Mizzix&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: if you cast this sorcery for its normal cost, you'll still get two casts for the price of one. However, if you overload it, that could make for a pretty impactful game-ender.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ignite the Future" href="#" target="_blank">Ignite the Future</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: here's another way to get access to a few cards for a limited amount of time while also having a mode that casts those spells for free if you flash this back.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Tricky Includes</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tarnation Vista"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crown of Flames"></div></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh" href="#" target="_blank">Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: since this creature has a mana value of zero while still being red, Zuko will make you a Soldier when you cast this Kobold for free.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tarnation Vista" href="#" target="_blank">Tarnation Vista</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: this land is incredible in the list and should be in a lot more mono-colored decks out there. Once you've assembled an army of creatures, it could generate you a huge burst of mana.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crown of Flames" href="#" target="_blank">Crown of Flames</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: while this doesn't go infinite, it can go <em>a lot</em>. For two mana in total, you can cast it and bounce it back to your hand. Repeat that process as many times as you want, and you'll get a Soldier each time.</li>
</ul>
<h2>The Full Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Zuko, Avatar Hunter - EDHREC Article" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zuko, Avatar Hunter
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Dark-Dweller Oracle
*1 Dragon&#039;s Rage Channeler
*1 Erebor Flamesmith
*1 Firespitter Whelp
*1 Grinning Ignus
*1 Hanweir Garrison
*1 Manaform Hellkite
*1 Molten Gatekeeper
*1 Party Thrasher
*1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
*1 Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh
*1 Runaway Steam-Kin
*1 Shock Brigade
*1 Storm-Kiln Artist
*1 Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner
*1 Sunset Strikemaster
*1 Trumpeting Carnosaur
*1 Weftstalker Ardent
*1 Young Pyromancer
*1 Zookeeper Mechan
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Ancestors&#039; Aid
*1 Battle Hymn
*1 Big Score
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Commune with Lava
*1 Display of Power
*1 Expedite
*1 Fists of Flame
*1 Invoke Calamity
*1 Opera Love Song
*1 Wild Magic Surge
*1 Zoyowa&#039;s Justice
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ancestral Anger
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Ecstatic Beauty
*1 Embrace the Unknown
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Forbidden Friendship
*1 Glimpse the Impossible
*1 Haze of Rage
*1 Ignite the Future
*1 Inspired Tinkering
*1 Insult // Injury
*1 Let the Galaxy Burn
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Mizzix&#039;s Mastery
*1 Rob the Archives
*1 Snort
*1 Strike It Rich
*1 Warlord&#039;s Fury
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bitter Reunion
*1 Brazen Cannonade
*1 Crown of Flames
*1 Impact Tremors
*1 Mass Hysteria
*1 Raid Bombardment
*1 Roar of Resistance
*1 Shared Animosity
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Glittering Stockpile
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Castle Embereth
*1 Conduit Pylons
*1 Den of the Bugbear
*1 Dwarven Mine
*1 Dwarven Ruins
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Hanweir Battlements
*1 Hidden Grotto
*1 Hidden Volcano
*1 Isolated Watchtower
*1 Mines of Moria
*1 Smoldering Crater
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 Tarnation Vista
*1 War Room
*22 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>In Closing</h2>
<p>As you might have gathered from reading my article last week for <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-cabbage-merchant-budget-commander-deck-tech">The Cabbage Merchant</a>, <em>Avatar</em> means a lot to me, and Zuko happens to be my all-time favorite character in the series. I wanted to do him justice with this deck and capture the reckless and bullish nature he had at the start of the show.</p>
<p>At this point in the series, Zuko was so loyal to the Fire Nation that he was willing to burn down cities for a family that sent him into exile and spend his whole life searching for something that could never be found.</p>
<p>As we see more cards from this set, I'm making it my mission to help bridge the gap between <em>Magic</em> players who aren't yet fans of the series and the amazing world from the show. If you want to learn more about Avatar and the meaning behind these cards, check out my <a href="https://youtu.be/af7NlJgLIpA?si=JvORKlvm7CNuCulN">YouTube channel</a> where I made a video on just that topic.</p>


Zuko, Avatar Hunter Budget Deck Tech

Edge of Eternities - Tannuk, Steadfast Second Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss|jmp|339" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://karlkopinski.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karl Kopinski</a></em></p>
<p>No creature type in <em>Magic</em> better epitomizes the phrase “just a little guy” than Goblins. But rest assured, where there’s just a little Goblin, a lot more are hiding nearby, waiting to make a splash on the game in the most humorous and painful way possible.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/kindred" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC stats</a>, Goblins are the 7th most popular creature type across all data-scraped deck building sites, with over 35,000 decks built. They've been part of <em>Magic</em> since the beginning, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mons&#039;s Goblin Raiders" href="#" target="_blank">Mons&#039;s Goblin Raiders</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as part of the "<a href="https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Sligh#:~:text=The%20philosophy%20of%20the%20%22Sligh,utilize%20all%20of%20its%20mana." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sligh Principle</a>" red decks that revolutionized the way players look at deck lists, introducing the concept of a mana curve. Goblins have been featured in Duel Decks and Starter Decks, as an integral part of introducing new players to <em>Magic</em> and the color red.</p>
<p>It seems like Goblins are all over the multiverse, with each set adding to their ranks. Goblins love to go wide and go boom, and our build for this deck tech will do both!</p>
<h2>Notable Goblins for Commander Decks</h2>
<p>Like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-dragon-commander-deck-with-the-ur-dragon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last week</a>, our commander this week, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, does one thing and does it well. He adds to our board exponentially, challenging the limits of our creativity and our ability to represent an accurate board state. Each turn, our board gets wider and wider. There are creatureless builds, highlighting how quickly Krenko alone gets out of hand, as well as combo builds, as Krenko can easily go infinite and make a quality cEDH commander. As a typal commander, however, Krenko presents a repeated must-answer threat that can easily snowball out of control.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stadium Headliner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Underfoot Underdogs"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shock Brigade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Devoted Duelist"></div></div></p>
<p>We want our creatures to hit the ground running, so there are a couple of ways to do that: make multiple bodies or enable the casting of multiple spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skirk Prospector" href="#" target="_blank">Skirk Prospector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns our excess bodies into mana, enabling massive turns and powering out our larger threats. One of the stranger aspects of newer Goblin builds, especially with a lightning rod for a commander, is that they're growing more and more hungry for mana. Cool Goblins keep getting printed, and there’s a tendency to cut lands for them, but it’s better to build in ramp without committing slots to dead cards.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Warchief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Howlsquad Heavy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skirk Prospector"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Chieftain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pashalik Mons"></div></div></p>
<p>One of the key elements of go-wide strategies is the presence of lords - creatures who provide boosts and/or keywords for those that fit certain criteria. There are lots of Goblin lords. Some provide haste, some provide a generic cost reduction, but only <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Trashmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Trashmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us blow up artifacts.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hobgoblin Bandit Lord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brightstone Ritual"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Trashmaster"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin King"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspicuous Snoop" href="#" target="_blank">Conspicuous Snoop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides some interesting nuance to Goblin decks. At the highest levels of play, topdeck manipulation can set up infinite win cons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skirk Prospector" href="#" target="_blank">Skirk Prospector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a key Goblin with an activated ability, as is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Chirurgeon" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Chirurgeon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can protect key parts of our board.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko&#039;s Command"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conspicuous Snoop"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Chirurgeon"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Instigator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muxus, Goblin Grandee"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogg War Marshal" href="#" target="_blank">Mogg War Marshal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unassuming piece of cardboard, but it’s secretly the perfect role player for a deck like this. It brings a buddy along with it, and, if the echo isn’t paid, it brings another. Two 1/1s for two mana is a solid rate, and the more lords we have, the better the rate gets, especially when our commander can turn those two bodies into four!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warren Instigator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Legion Warboss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Battle Cry Goblin"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beetleback Chief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mogg War Marshal"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Lackey" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Lackey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a key card in Goblin decks across formats, from Legacy to EDH to cEDH, and everything in between. If little red guys are being played, there are few better turn-one plays.</p>
<p>You may notice that this deck eschews <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. How can we get away with that? Well, as good as a turn-two Krenko is, a turn-one <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Lackey" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Lackey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is even better. True, the returns diminish as boards develop, but the Lackey is also a solid play after a board wipe, which could otherwise be backbreaking for a deck like this.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Lackey"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Piledriver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei"></div></div>
<h2>Complementary Cards for Goblin Decks</h2>
<p>With Goblins, speed is the name of the game. We want to take opponents out before they get a chance to get fully set up, before we even have to resort to the combat step, if need be. After all, why risk bodies in combat when we can threaten to overwhelm opponents with numbers? Well, because of board wipes. So, how do we win during this phase, before the wipe hits? Keep direct damage coming with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects, and going with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Bombardment" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Bombardment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shocking Sharpshooter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Bombardment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impact Tremors"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Strike"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Witty Roastmaster"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin War Strike" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin War Strike</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a hard-hitting card. Its damage scales with the number of Goblins we control, so it’s best used pre-combat, after activating Krenko, before attacking. That way, our army of Goblins will be at its largest when it hits. It also enables us to alpha strike with reckless abandon (the best kind) on the turn we intend to win.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, God of the Forge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege-Gang Commander"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege-Gang Lieutenant"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Strike"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="General Kreat, the Boltbringer"></div></div></p>
<h2>Goblin Draw Spells and Card Advantage</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a key part of the higher-level Goblin decks. Since it puts any Goblins we want on top of our library, we can set up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspicuous Snoop" href="#" target="_blank">Conspicuous Snoop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for any number of combinations. We can also combine it with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to draw into whatever cards we put there. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be an issue if we have lords out with no ways to sacrifice creatures, as we can find ourselves in the strange position of needing help to get our creatures killed.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skullclamp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rundvelt Hordemaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Recruiter"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Ringleader"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moria Marauder"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Outpost Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Outpost Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a draw engine that doubles as a source of repeatable direct damage…or it would, if we didn’t have to pick a side. Luckily, we can take the perspective that it will either find what we want or be what we want. Thankfully, both options are relevant in a deck like this.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark-Dweller Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Matron"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moggcatcher"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rummaging Goblin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Outpost Siege"></div></div></p>
<h2>Removal Spells for Goblin Decks</h2>
<p>Being in mono-red, our removal options are somewhat limited. Our best options are also Goblins, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Sharpshooter" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Sharpshooter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Cratermaker" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Cratermaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Sharpshooter can mow down opposing creatures, including untapping off of creatures that would be dying anyways, to get in extra pings. The Cratermaker is primarily there to ping small creatures or blow up artifacts, but we can live the dream occasionally, blowing up an Eldrazi with a little explosives expert. He might die, but what a way to go!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Sharpshooter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Cratermaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tibalt&#039;s Trickery"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abrade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Untimely Malfunction"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gempalm Incinerator" href="#" target="_blank">Gempalm Incinerator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might just be the most exciting singular card in the deck. Not only does it cycle to draw a card, but it smacks a creature hard when it does. As an activated ability, it isn’t being cast, so it's difficult to counter. It doesn’t even stop at the Goblins we control, however, as it smacks for an amount equal to the total number of Goblins on the field. If we can hit an opponent’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stuffy Doll" href="#" target="_blank">Stuffy Doll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can have a lot of fun!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reverberate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return the Favor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mogg Salvage"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flare of Duplication"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gempalm Incinerator"></div></div></p>
<h2>Krenko, Mob Boss Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Krenko, Mob Boss Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Krenko, Mob Boss
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Battle Cry Goblin
*1 Beetleback Chief
*1 Conspicuous Snoop
*1 Dark-Dweller Oracle
*1 Devoted Duelist
*1 Gempalm Incinerator
*1 General Kreat, the Boltbringer
*1 Goblin Chieftain
*1 Goblin Chirurgeon
*1 Goblin Cratermaker
*1 Goblin Instigator
*1 Goblin King
*1 Goblin Lackey
*1 Goblin Matron
*1 Goblin Piledriver
*1 Goblin Recruiter
*1 Goblin Ringleader
*1 Goblin Sharpshooter
*1 Goblin Trashmaster
*1 Goblin Warchief
*1 Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
*1 Hobgoblin Bandit Lord
*1 Howlsquad Heavy
*1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
*1 Legion Warboss
*1 Mogg War Marshal
*1 Moggcatcher
*1 Moria Marauder
*1 Muxus, Goblin Grandee
*1 Pashalik Mons
*1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
*1 Rummaging Goblin
*1 Rundvelt Hordemaster
*1 Searslicer Goblin
*1 Shock Brigade
*1 Shocking Sharpshooter
*1 Siege-Gang Commander
*1 Siege-Gang Lieutenant
*1 Skirk Prospector
*1 Squee, Dubious Monarch
*1 Stadium Headliner
*1 Underfoot Underdogs
*1 Warren Instigator
*1 Witty Roastmaster
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Brightstone Ritual
*1 Flare of Duplication
*1 Mogg Salvage
*1 Return the Favor
*1 Reverberate
*1 Tibalt&#039;s Trickery
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Goblin War Strike
*1 Krenko&#039;s Command
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Goblin Bombardment
*1 Impact Tremors
*1 Outpost Siege
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Skullclamp
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*40 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>Goblins are single-minded, and their decks are similar. They swarm the field, attack, and burn opponents coming and going. Sometimes, their speed literally blows up in their face, but one thing’s for sure: their lives may be short, but they’re not boring!</p>


Building a Goblin Commander Deck with Krenko, Mob Boss

Making a Group Slug Deck With Neheb, the Eternal

Best Free Red Spells for Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://xabigaztelua.com/">Xabi Gaztelua</a>)</h6>
<h1>Seeing Red</h1>
<p>Mono-red always has been and always will be my favorite color of deck in EDH. Red was already my favorite color in <em>Magic, </em>but there's just something about going up against everyone's high powered, multicolored decks.</p>
<p>All filled with crazy powerful cards in a suite of colors. And there you are with your pile of cheap cards and a dream, somehow still becoming the threat with copious amounts of direct damage and a wincon baked into your commander.</p>
<p>If the crimson curse lives within you. The need for burn, haste, and impulsivity, then this list is for you. A heap of powerful cards that find a home in any Commander deck with a mono-red legend at the helm. Regardless of your play style, these staples will help you to lean in to mono-red's inherent strengths, and patch over some of its weaknesses.</p>
<p>This is <em>The Monolith</em>, the series in which I convince you to build and play more monocolored decks in EDH, and here are 7 cards that will find a home in any mono-red Commander deck.</p>
<h2>1. Jeska's Will</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeska&#039;s Will"></div></div>
<p>There's a reason it's recently been dubbed a Game Changer. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the ability to create some absolutely explosive turns. For just three mana, you'll be able to pick one of two options.</p>
<p>Either fill your pool with red mana equal to the number of cards in one of your opponents' hands. A surprisingly big chunk of mana usually, especially if you're playing it on curve where most of your opponents will still have full hands from just starting the game.</p>
<p>Alternatively, you can use Jeska's Will to exile the top three cards of your library, keeping them available to play until the end of your turn. Now either of these are relatively good returns for your three mana. You'd obviously prefer to have the cards for longer for the rate, but draw is draw even if its impulsive. Especially in mono-red.</p>
<p>The true power of this card lies in the conditional text at the top though. If your commander is on the field, you can choose both. You get a potentially massive ritual for the cost, or at the very least you'll have cast the card effectively for free. Then you'll put three more cards into your arsenal for the turn.</p>
<p>Jeska's Will has loads of applications, from casting expensive cards early, to helping you storm off. In general, it's just never bad to make a tonne of mana and see three extra cards off the top of your library.</p>
<p>And because you get still one of the effects, even if your commander is out of action, it'll never eat up room in your hand doing nothing. Even if it does suck to only get one of the options.</p>
<h2>2. Ruby Medallion</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ruby Medallion"></div></div>
<p>Ramping in red isn't easy. You can certainly flood the board or your pool with one use mana. There's plenty of rituals or cards that dump out treasure tokens at your disposal that'll ensure you can have single explosive turns with a huge chunk of mana at your disposal.</p>
<p>But largely that mana is gone when it's used. In comparison to green's ability to find multiple lands per turn and consistently increase their available mana from turn to turn, red's version of ramping is usually quite lacking.</p>
<p>The medallions are available in every color in magic's pie, but they're even more essential as ramp for the decks that find themselves in this position. No easy access to increasing mana, and a tendency to spin out when they've tapped their last land. And that's red to a T.</p>
<p>The medallions reduce the cost of all spells you cast of their corresponding color. In this case red for ruby. And that's indefinitely. And for just two mana. Whilst they won't help you with the colorless spells in your deck or any cards that are all red pips (as it only reduces generic mana costs), permanently reducing the cost of almost all your spells for the rest of the game is a phenomenal help to a color that can struggle to get more permanent mana available.</p>
<h2>3. Arena of Glory</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arena of Glory"></div></div>
<p>Red has the ability to claw wins out of nowhere. To massively expedite games and go from the weakest player at the table to the new arch enemy in a matter of moments.</p>
<p>Conversely though, red struggles when games go long. The more time your opponents have to assemble their board states, put up walls, and heal any damage your early plays have done, the more your wins can slip through your fingers.</p>
<p>With that in mind, red needs the ability to play fast. There's a reason that haste is a keyword that's so intrinsically linked with red in the color pie. When you get something on the board, you need it to work right away. And with so many red commanders that rely on their flashy activated and combat abilities to do cool things, you want to get your creatures tapping and attacking as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Enter this lovely nonbasic land from <em>Modern Horizons 3</em>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena of Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Arena of Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to exert itself (exerted permanents don't untap the turn after) and pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to then add <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to your mana pool. If you spend that mana on a creature spell, that creature will gain haste until end of turn.</p>
<p>That's <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> immediately pilfering the top card of each deck. Or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> immediately making a token. Heck, maybe even a token copy of Etali!</p>
<h2>4. Untimely Malfunction</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Untimely Malfunction"></div></div>
<p>One of the best defensive abilities red has access to is the ability to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolt Bend" href="#" target="_blank">Bolt Bend</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> targeted cards. You can't usually counter a spell in red and it's hard to give your own permanents hexproof or indestructible at instant speed.</p>
<p>That means any kill spells, counter spells, or any other kind of disruption sent your way can be pretty devastating. That is, unless it was a targeted effect.</p>
<p>By misdirecting counterspells or turning kill spells back onto the casters' own creatures, red has a unique ability to not stop a shot but pull an innocent bystander into the line of fire instead. There's a few of these effects to pick from in red but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Untimely Malfunction" href="#" target="_blank">Untimely Malfunction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is my go to pick since the release of <em>Duskmourn</em>.</p>
<p>Malfunction still hits targeted spells and abilities for a nice and cheap rate of just two mana, but also comes with some extra options for when you need it.</p>
<p>You can use it like an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abrade" href="#" target="_blank">Abrade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> but with protection attached rather than creature damage. Allowing you to destroy a nasty artifact at instant speed on your opponent's board, or any nonland you like if you have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liquimetal Torque" href="#" target="_blank">Liquimetal Torque</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on board.</p>
<p>On top of that you can either use it as evasion by stopping your opponent's nasty blockers from taking part in combat, allowing you to squeeze through with lethal damage, or just attack without having to worry about the blocker's best creature. It's a lovely little toolbox and will be useful in almost all situations in a game of EDH.</p>
<p>And with a format with this many different possible game states, having something that can answer a load of different problems all in one card is a surefire hit in any deck.</p>
<h2>5. Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle"></div></div>
<p>One of the best things about playing a monocolored deck is the ease with which you can assemble a mana base for your deck. Having utility lands is great, and you largely won't be punished for running colorless ones in your mono decks, but if you're lazy you can also just dump a pile of basic mountains in sleeves and call it a day there. Even more than that, there's some devilish options in red that reward you for sticking to the peaks with your mana base.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle" href="#" target="_blank">Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does one of the best things a staple card can do: reward you for simply playing the game. Valakut itself is just a tapped nonbasic mountain.</p>
<p>A great thing to shove out on turn one when not much is happening. But once it's on the board, your sixth mountain onward will gain a brand new ability. That's right, your lands are now <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolts</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Simply playing a mountain, if you have five or more other mountains on the field, will cause Valakut to deal 3 damage to any player or creature of your choice. Now every land drop you make becomes targeted removal for smaller creatures or puts added pressure on your biggest rival at the table.</p>
<p>Combine this card with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Koth, Fire of Resistance" href="#" target="_blank">Koth, Fire of Resistance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to not only reliably make your land drops every turn, but to also turn your 3 damage on land drop effects into a massive SEVEN damage when paired with Koth's ultimate. God I love red.</p>
<h2>6. Blasphemous Act</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasphemous Act"></div></div>
<p>One of the many things that red struggles with in a game of Commander is wiping a dangerous board. Board wipes are the most important thing an EDH deck can have, ensuring that one player doesn't run away with the game and giving you a chance to reset play when you fall behind. And whilst red has some of the worst options of any color in this regard, you should absolutely still pack them in your deck.</p>
<p>As the best sweeper in red, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a must include in almost all mono-red EDH decks. In what was a perfect synergy of cool card design and flavorful effects, this nine mana sorcery will deal a whopping 13 damage to every creature on the battlefield.</p>
<p>Whilst damage isn't the best way to remove creatures, especially ones sporting a toughness of 14 or higher, 13 should take out pretty much everything in sight.</p>
<p>Its contemporary, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain Reaction" href="#" target="_blank">Chain Reaction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does technically have the ability to do even more damage, but its conditional makes it liable to sitting as a dud card in your hand.</p>
<h3>Wiping a Board For One Mana is Just Very Good</h3>
<p>Blasphemous Act's biggest strength is that its generic cost is reduced by one for every creature on the battlefield. Of course you'd never cast this with zero creatures in play so it'll never actually cost you the full nine mana. In most cases it'll only actually cost you <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p>And in certain cases where there's only a few creatures on the board that desperately need to go, I'd rather pay a little extra for a guaranteed 13 damage than just three or four with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain Reaction" href="#" target="_blank">Chain Reaction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Not to mention that in the cases where you are only spending a single mana to wipe an entire board, you'll be able to rebuild incredibly fast directly after and maybe even swing in with a few hasty creatures.</p>
<h2>7. Blood Moon</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Moon"></div></div>
<p>Now this recommendation comes with a grain of salt. In fact, it's much more than a grain. Players don't like it when you mess with their lands. And whilst this isn't exactly an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armageddon" href="#" target="_blank">Armageddon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a lot of modern Commander decks run a huge amount of nonbasics.</p>
<p>Having them all become basic mountains, especially when that player isn't playing red, can be devastating. But it's precisely that reason that makes this card so effective when you're playing mono-red.</p>
<p>It's not a popular tactic but punishing players for their lack of basic lands can give you a significant advantage at the table. If you're not running too many utility lands, this card will effectively do absolutely nothing to your mana base whilst crippling every other players'.</p>
<p>The funniest part of all this being that red is the worst color to kill enchantments with. So even players who have red spells will struggle to use them to reverse the effect.</p>
<p>Mono-red is the most fun way to play <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. This card simply forces your opponents to do the same!</p>
<h2>What Makes You See Red?</h2>
<p>So there's some absolute bangers for you to slot into every mono-red deck you build henceforth. But there's a whole heap of cards that could easily squeeze their way into this list.</p>
<p>What cards do you run in every mono-red deck you build? Which creatures, sorceries, and enchantments have already hit your list before you even started deck building?</p>
<p>Let me know in the comments below and I'll see you on the next edition of <em>The Monolith</em>. Why not check out my previous list in which I recommend <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-monolith-7-cards-you-should-be-running-in-any-monocolored-deck">cards that go in ANY mono deck</a>, regardless of color? But until then, happy deckbuilding, and stay mono!</p>


Top 7 Cards That Should Go In All Mono-Red Decks

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Inti, Seneschal of the Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://victoradameart.com/">Victor Adame Minguez</a>)</h6>
<h1>Technically Playable - <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Inti, Seneschal of the Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h1>
<p>Welcome to <em>Technically Playable</em>, where our mission statement is "Every commander is <em>Technically</em> playable" (the best kind of playable). The way this works is every article will have a commander generated using EDHREC's random button, I'll talk through the card and then write about how we can build around it!</p>
<p>This week's random commander is <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun"></div></div></p>
<p>The EDHREC random button has blessed me this week with a card that I constantly lose to. This card has all of the features of Magic that I enjoy. Card advantage, an angle that allows you to interact with your graveyard and of course, trample.</p>
<h2>Trampling over the competition</h2>
<p>I absolutely love the trample keyword. My <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck is almost completely built around it and being able to force unfavourable blocks and prevent those little annoying 1/1s from completely wallking your huge 10/10 is always a good feeling.</p>
<p>Inti is in a good colour for trample to be very effective too. Red is second only to green in terms of giant scary monsters and none are bigger in Commander than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malignus" href="#" target="_blank">Malignus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Effectively a 20/20 if any players are at full health, and it only gets bigger as players gain any life. It also has a sneaky line of text that stops any damage it deals from being prevented allowing it to get around any protection from either its colour or its card type (I'm thinking <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra&#039;s Emissary" href="#" target="_blank">Serra&#039;s Emissary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> specifically here) and also having the upside of getting around any stray <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s.</p>
<p>Another beefy red beater is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inferno Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Inferno Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is <em>always</em> the 101st card in my red decks and I always end up cutting it at the last moment in deck building. I then proceed to get beaten up by other people's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inferno Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Inferno Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s all the time. My main issue with it is that while it has the ability to be a fantastic mana sink it does get blocked by just about anything in existence, but not anymore. By gaining trample from Inti <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inferno Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Inferno Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can directly damage any small creatures and either force incredibly awkward blocks that it will almost always come out on top of, or simply slam all of your mana into it to deal a huge amount of damage. This is definitely a deck where I'd never cut this card.</p>
<p>The other great thing about trample is that it gives you a way to pretty much guarantee combat damage effects getting through. Probably one of the most powerful of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balefire Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Balefire Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. By giving it trample and buffing it, Inti turns <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balefire Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Balefire Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into a flying beater that also allows you to destroy whole boards. You could even add a cheeky little <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Repercussion" href="#" target="_blank">Repercussion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to your deck if you really want to blow someone up out of nowhere.</p>
<p>This idea extends to any other combat damage cards too. <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> is a great way to trigger Inti while refueling your hand and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Copper Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Copper Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives you the mana you need for big explosive turns (especially now that we have lost our trusty goblin buddy, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inferno Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balefire Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malignus"></div></div>
<h2>Which card? Discard</h2>
<p>You know, like this card... But <em>dis</em>card. No? Okay. The discard strategies in this deck can be broken down into what I feel are two really key elements. Providing card advantage through "Impulse draws" (named after <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Act on Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Act on Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and the ability to interact with or gain advantage the cards that go to our graveyard to negate the negatives of having to discard them.</p>
<h3>Acting on Impulse</h3>
<p>Impulse draw is the most common form of card advantage for red decks and while card advantage is the core of this mechanic, there are a lot of other ways to interact with cards that you cast from from exile.</p>
<p>In terms of generic impulse draws there are a ton of amazing options but we want stuff that synergizes with Inti. In terms of triggering Inti through discard, there are a lot of the typical options like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faithless Looting" href="#" target="_blank">Faithless Looting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for a low-cost cantrip, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrill of Possibility" href="#" target="_blank">Thrill of Possibility</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for an instant speed option, and of course <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Big Score" href="#" target="_blank">Big Score</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the instant speed draw and discard with the upside of leaving behind some treasure. These are all great options because they are card selection at a great rate with the upside of triggering Inti for further card advantage. but this is Technically Playable, let's look at some other options.</p>
<p>Since grabbing a copy for my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Scrap Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Scrap Savant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck I've found <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Veronica, Dissident Scribe" href="#" target="_blank">Veronica, Dissident Scribe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to be an amazing card advantage machine, allowing looting and also creating <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Junk" href="#" target="_blank">Junk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when I discard. In Inti, this effectively doubles up your impulse draws but with some of them being able to be activated when it suits you best. Veronica also works really well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demand Answers" href="#" target="_blank">Demand Answers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> by giving you the option to impulse draw or to sacrifice it to discard and draw.</p>
<p>There is a second <em>Fallout</em> card that works well in this deck too, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrill-Kill Disciple" href="#" target="_blank">Thrill-Kill Disciple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With the squad mechanic, this card allows you to discard your whole hand to impulse draw an equal number and also create a board of 3/2s that create further impulse draws (in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Junk" href="#" target="_blank">Junk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) when they die. In terms of refueling in the mid to late game, this is one of the best options for this deck as it allows you to turn any dead cards or extra land in your hand into gas.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faithless Looting"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrill-Kill Disciple"></div></div>
<p>There is also the option of turning your discards directly into playable cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Containment Construct" href="#" target="_blank">Containment Construct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and [/el]Conspiracy Theorist[/el] do this by giving you the option of exiling cards that you discard, with the caveat that you can play them this turn or lose them forever. Using this to discard mana rocks that you can then play and use again is a great way to effectively go even on cards you discard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspiracy Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Conspiracy Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> even gives you additional value by giving you an option to draw and discard on the attack, effectively fueling itself. If I had to choose just the one to play it would be the Theorist for sure (opting into the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Containment Construct" href="#" target="_blank">Containment Construct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> if my deck had artifact synergy).</p>
<p>But if all we're doing is exiling more cards to exile more cards we're not really getting anywhere, so we need some ways to win. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keeper of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Keeper of Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Passionate Archaeologist" href="#" target="_blank">Passionate Archaeologist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosper, Tome-Bound" href="#" target="_blank">Prosper, Tome-Bound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> staples, give a great way to dodge any boards that people have built up and deal damage directly to our opponents. This reach means we can close out games very quickly when chaining our impulse draws together.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flaming Tyrannosaurus" href="#" target="_blank">Flaming Tyrannosaurus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the other hand is a little more tricky. While it still has a small amount of direct damage the real payoff here is creating a huge beater and giving it trample with Inti's ability. Once you've cast enough spells from outside of your hand and kept the board clear you can then potentially threaten lethal if anyone plays a board wipe or removes it outside of exile-based removal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conspiracy Theorist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Keeper of Secrets"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flaming Tyrannosaurus"></div></div>
<h3>Together, in Perfect Harmony</h3>
<p>But this deck isn't <em>just</em> discarded, and it's not <em>just</em> impulse draw. The key is to use both in the deck in combination to create a synergy <strong>machine</strong>. In terms of discarding cards, you want to make sure you have not just enough ways to get the cards into your graveyard but also synergy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glint-Horn Buccaneer" href="#" target="_blank">Glint-Horn Buccaneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brallin, Skyshark Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Brallin, Skyshark Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are amazing ways to close out games through discard while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Surly Badgersaur" href="#" target="_blank">Surly Badgersaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives you the resources and strategies to not only accelerate your gameplan but also gives you board-based removal by allowing you to fight. If you can leverage some instant speed removal with these effects you can clutch surprise wins out of nowhere.</p>
<p>And when it comes to casting cards from exile you don't just have the options above, you also have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Worm" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Worm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, effectively a red <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Arena" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Arena</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that with Inti in play draws you two cards, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Party Thrasher" href="#" target="_blank">Party Thrasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allowing you to use red's love of small creatures and tokens to turbo out as many spells as you can from exile while fueling itself.</p>
<p>You can also gain some extra free spells with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wild-Magic Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Wild-Magic Sorcerer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nalfeshnee" href="#" target="_blank">Nalfeshnee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> either cascading into more spells or getting copies giving you double value from your spells, and with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nalfeshnee" href="#" target="_blank">Nalfeshnee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, breaking the singleton rule.</p>
<p>And of course, you can't forget what started this article. By allowing you to buff your creatures, Inti even works really well with some of the more aggressive creatures that fit into these archetypes like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rose, Cutthroat Raider" href="#" target="_blank">Rose, Cutthroat Raider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Professional Face-Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Professional Face-Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allowing you to play mono-red as it was intended. Playing creatures and turning them sideways.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Surly Badgersaur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Memory Worm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rose, Cutthroat Raider"></div></div>
<p>As with all <em>Technically Playable</em> articles, this was a very quick look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Inti, Seneschal of the Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a commander, and a few of the cards that can really make a deck with Inti as the commander tick. Let me know in the comments below if you play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Inti, Seneschal of the Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, if you want to build a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Inti, Seneschal of the Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, or even if you just enjoyed this article!</p>
<hr />
<h4>Read more:</h4>
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