<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.alexkonstad.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Konstad</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Every Spring, college basketball has massive tournaments for both men and women, where even people who don’t follow the sport fill out brackets and follow along as immensely-talented athletes partake in a chaotic melee. Blue-bloods (perennially good teams) like Duke and Kansas University feel advantaged in maintaining the status quo, but little-known upstarts (Cinderellas) like Loyola-Chicago and Saint Peter’s relish in crashing the party. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Four years ago, I decided to make a similarly exciting and inclusive event, the Theme Deck Throwdown, to crown <em>Magic</em>’s best Typal deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For the last four years, I’ve run the Throwdown, with a similar mixture of blue-bloods and Cinderella stories. My process for organizing the event can be found in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/interview-with-unsummonedskull-on-his-philanthropic-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this week’s Community Corner article</a>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This year’s winner is a fresh take on a type that has been written about before; in fact, it was the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-dragon-commander-deck-with-the-ur-dragon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first type</a> I wrote about in this series!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’ll see how this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander deck takes Dragons in a fun and original direction, and how it took down the whole event!</span></p>
<h2>Dragon History</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dragons, for some odd reason, seem to be drawn to odd amounts of colors. <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scion of the Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Scion of the Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are traditional powers, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the most popular and powerful commanders of all time. The winner of the Throwdown eschewed another two colors, going monochromatic. Somehow, that only seemed to make the deck scarier.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mono-red Dragons do have a bit of a pedigree, as the <a href="https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/6879867#paper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gassy Knoll</a> Standard deck led to one of the most iconic moments in Pro Magic history. That deck was heavy on ramp and rituals, leading to explosive plays with remarkable consistency. While the cards may be different, the general strategy strongly resembles the Throwdown winner.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scion of the Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even within one color, Dragons are a deep creature type with a range of abilities. They can draw cards, deal direct damage, and even remove dangerous threats, all without having to commit non-Dragon deck slots. And, for at least this year, they reign supreme as the best creature type in <em>Magic</em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do they fill these diverse roles? And what gave them the edge to win the event?</span></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathliss, Dragon Queen"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not be the most powerful Dragon commander, or even the only option in her colors, but she does bring a (wing)beating. Six mana is a lot for a commander, which is a major reason why the need for mana is so high. Even being a 6/6 flier doesn’t provide enough of a reason to run it as a commander.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Its activated and triggered abilities, however, start to tell the story of how this deck took down the tournament. Making all of the Dragons breathe fire is a nice trick, but many of them are already big fliers on their own. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Making a 5/5 flying body whenever a Dragon enters, however, is the key to victory.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Going wide and tall simultaneously is tremendously powerful, and the brewer unlocked the key to Lathliss’s power by including Dragons that could be cast for small amounts of mana. This made it so the deck could be aggressive with a six-mana commander, hitting unaware opponents for huge chunks of life and wrapping up the game in 1-2 humongous combat steps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how did it pull this off? And how did it do it so consistently?</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This Lathliss deck used a crafty mix of power and speed to overwhelm the competition. The Dragons included were carefully selected to serve a few key roles, and managed to beat down effectively and efficiently. They ruled the skies, and it was both terrifying and breathtaking to behold.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knollspine Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ganax, Astral Hunter"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lathliss is a commander that wants Dragons to enter and grants them a big ol’ friend when they do. The best complements for her are Dragons that also have enters the battlefield (ETB) effects. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knollspine Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Knollspine Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the living incarnation of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spinerock Knoll" href="#" target="_blank">Spinerock Knoll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> card that fueled the Gassy Knoll Standard deck, is an excellent follow-up to a big attack, drawing a bunch of cards, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ganax, Astral Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Ganax, Astral Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enables the big attacks by making Treasures when we cast Dragons, enabling us to cast more big scaly bois.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scourge of Valkas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stormscale Scion"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And what do we do with all those Dragon spells we’re stringing together? Burn opponents with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or make a bunch of copies of a real Dragon lord with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormscale Scion" href="#" target="_blank">Stormscale Scion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These are the heavy hitters, the Dragons we can ride to victory like a Targaryen from <em>Game of Thrones</em>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fire-Belly Changeling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Universal Automaton"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The few changelings in the deck are among the more controversial includes. There are plenty of Dragons, so resorting to changelings does seem a bit weenie (in the Typal community, changelings are typically used only when there aren't enough members, and are kind of seen as a bit of a concession), but they do serve an important role. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire-Belly Changeling" href="#" target="_blank">Fire-Belly Changeling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Universal Automaton" href="#" target="_blank">Universal Automaton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are cheap “Dragons” that allow the deck to maximize Lathliss and use our mana efficiently.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we get enough mana to cast a six-drop and make a Dragon or two in the same turn?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The short answer is, we need to ramp. This deck uses quite a few early mana rocks, but isn’t too dependent on them because of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Furnace Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Furnace Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s exiling all artifacts. As a result, the deck uses rituals (instants and sorceries that make mana) to enable big turns, much like the famed Gassy Knoll deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geosurge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Irencrag Feat"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geosurge" href="#" target="_blank">Geosurge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Irencrag Feat" href="#" target="_blank">Irencrag Feat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help us go from four mana to seven, making it easy for us to cast our commander. They can also be used on Lathliss’s activated ability, which is an excellent mana sink and gets around the downside of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Irencrag Feat" href="#" target="_blank">Irencrag Feat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that only one spell can be cast with its mana.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breaching Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Furious Rise"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breaching Dragonstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Breaching Dragonstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Furious Rise" href="#" target="_blank">Furious Rise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both repeatable card advantage engines that work with Dragons. The Dragonstorm gives us a free spell when it comes down and we can bounce it and replay it every time we cast a Dragon. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Furious Rise" href="#" target="_blank">Furious Rise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us impulse draw (exile top cards and cast from exile) each end step while we control a big Dragon, which should be every turn. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the kinds of cards that give the deck afterburners and enable us to win longer, more drawn-out affairs.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bonders&#039; Enclave"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue&#039;s Passage"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our manabase is mostly basics, enabling us to cast our spells on curve and not worry about lands coming into play tapped or getting our colors on time. This is a big advantage we have over the three- and five-color versions. Granted, mana keeps getting better and better as more lands get printed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mountain" href="#" target="_blank">Mountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s can’t draw cards or sneak creatures through, which is where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bonders&#039; Enclave" href="#" target="_blank">Bonders&#039; Enclave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> come in.</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lathliss, Dragon Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Lathliss, Dragon Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ferocity of the Wilds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Tempest"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Generally speaking, the deck’s game plan is simple but effective: make giant fliers and attack players without fliers early and often. We do have backup plans for opponents that can match us with flying blockers, but we can usually beat those players with wave after wave of giant flying lizards.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ferocity of the Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Ferocity of the Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us a way to break parity against decks with smaller fliers, like Faeries. They may be able to present blockers, but trample invalidates them and our size and inevitability enable us to lean on them until they run out of bodies.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives our Dragons haste, including the ones Lathliss creates, and gives us a source of repeated direct damage. These abilities give us the reach (ways to get through damage in a locked board) to take players out and the ability to bring the beatdown.</span></p>
<h2>Lathliss, Dragon Queen Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Red Crown of Dragons" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Lathliss, Dragon Queen
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Sarkhan the Masterless
[/Planeswalkers]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Archwing Dragon
*1 Avaricious Dragon
*1 Boulderborn Dragon
*1 Dragon Egg
*1 Dragon Hatchling
*1 Dragonmaster Outcast
*1 Dragonspeaker Shaman
*1 Embermouth Sentinel
*1 Fire-Belly Changeling
*1 Furnace Dragon
*1 Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
*1 Hoarding Dragon
*1 Knollspine Dragon
*1 Magmatic Hellkite
*1 Opportunistic Dragon
*1 Ryusei, the Falling Star
*1 Sarkhan&#039;s Whelp
*1 Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Scourge of the Throne
*1 Shivan Devastator
*1 Siege Dragon
*1 Slumbering Dragon
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Stormscale Scion
*1 Stormshriek Feral // Flush Out
*1 Taurean Mauler
*1 Territorial Hellkite
*1 Thunderbreak Regent
*1 Tyrant&#039;s Familiar
*1 Universal Automaton
*1 Utvara Hellkite
*1 Wrathful Red Dragon
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Dragonstorm Globe
*1 Hazoret&#039;s Monument
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Mox Jasper
*1 Pillar of Origins
*1 Urza&#039;s Incubator
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Bolt Bend
*1 Dragonrage
*1 Scour from Existence
*1 Thrill of Possibility
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Geosurge
*1 Irencrag Feat
*1 Rite of Flame
*1 Tormenting Voice
*1 Wild Guess
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Breaching Dragonstorm
*1 Crucible of Fire
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Ferocity of the Wilds
*1 Fires of Invention
*1 Furious Rise
*1 Molten Echoes
*1 Where Ancients Tread
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Bonders&#039; Enclave
*1 Desert of the Fervent
*1 Dormant Volcano
*1 Forgotten Cave
*30 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Smoldering Crater
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dragons are a ton of fun, with many different paths to building and victory. The Throwdown is also one of the coolest events of the year, and unexpected decks like this are a huge part of why.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you build Dragons? And what type would you represent at the Throwdown?</span></p>


mono red dragons

Winning the Theme Deck Throwdown With Lathliss, Dragon Queen