<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smaug the Magnificent" href="#" target="_blank">Smaug the Magnificent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tedrick94" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Tedrick</a></span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Peanut butter and jelly. Simon and Garfunkel. Dragons and Treasures. Some things just go together well, don't they?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frankie Peanuts"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barrels of Blasting Jelly"></div></div>
<p>But, unfortunately, this isn't the type of website where I get to rant about why smooth peanut butter is better than chunky peanut butter, nor is it the type of website where I get to sing the praises of <em>Bridge over Troubled Water</em>. Instead, we'll be talking about a Dragon who loves his Treasure. Today's article will focus on the recently previewed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smaug the Magnificent" href="#" target="_blank">Smaug the Magnificent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an early spoiler for the upcoming <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/hob" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The</em> <em>Hobbit</em></a> set.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smaug the Magnificent"></div></div></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smaug the Magnificent" href="#" target="_blank">Smaug the Magnificent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p>For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Smaug is a 4/3 Dragon with flying and haste. He lets us make a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on each of our upkeeps, and will deal damage to any target equal to the number of Treasures we control when he attacks.</p>
<p>Smaug is the latest in a long line of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> commanders that care about Treasures. From other Dragons like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky" href="#" target="_blank">Atsushi, the Blazing Sky</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to robbers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vaan, Street Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Vaan, Street Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there's tons of similar cards in this color.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer"></div></div>
<p>Smaug provides us with a consistent stream of Treasure tokens and a way to turn those tokens into direct damage to our opponents (or their valuable creatures). We'll fill our 99 with other ways to flood the board with artifact tokens, and ensure that we're crashing in for big damage when our commander attacks.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Smaug</h2>
<p>We'll be able to make a ton of Treasure tokens with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while also punishing our opponents for having too many artifacts on the board. Additionally, Smaug's attack trigger targets our opponents (or permanents they control), which counts as committing a crime! That allows <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magda, the Hoardmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Magda, the Hoardmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to create more Treasures for us. We can even turn those tokens into 4/4 Dragons if we need to close out the game.</p>
<p>I've also included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldspan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Goldspan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for a bit of extra mana production. It's neat that this creature makes us an additional artifact token every turn, but I'm really focused on the fact that it doubles the mana our Treasures can create. We've got 12 other spells with a mana value of five or higher, and Goldspan Dragon will let us cast those spells way ahead of schedule.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Plunderer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magda, the Hoardmaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goldspan Dragon"></div></div>
<p>Smaug lets us pick off opposing creatures with his attack trigger, so we've got a few ways to take advantage of that. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainsaw" href="#" target="_blank">Chainsaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may seem like an artifact version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragefire" href="#" target="_blank">Ragefire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but this Equipment can provide a huge power boost to any creature as the game goes on. Creatures die all the time in Commander games, and they'll die more frequently if we hit them for massive damage with our commander's attack trigger, making this Equipment a great inclusion.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chainsaw"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spiteful Banditry" href="#" target="_blank">Spiteful Banditry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will remove a creature upon entering the battlefield before providing us with a steady stream of value turn after turn. Even if we cast this spell with an <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> value of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-0" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we still get the Treasure-making benefits!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spiteful Banditry"></div></div>
<p>Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magmatic Galleon" href="#" target="_blank">Magmatic Galleon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make us Treasure tokens turn after turn. Smaug's attack trigger will often hit creatures for more damage than they have toughness, and this five-drop Vehicle will turn that excess damage into extra Treasures.</p>
<p>This artifact is, admittedly, a bit expensive. But, this is a <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bracket 2</a> deck where high mana value cards like the Galleon are right at home!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magmatic Galleon"></div></div>
<p>Once we've got a board full of Treasure tokens, what else can we do with them? Well, <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> allows us to sacrifice those Treasures for a bit of extra card advantage. This Human Warrior is one of the best ways that <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> decks can access more cards.</p>
<p>When we use those artifact tokens to cast spells, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alchemist&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Alchemist&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rain of Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Rain of Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will give us a little something extra for our trouble. There's a bit of an odd push-and-pull created when these enchantments are on the battlefield. We want to keep our Treasures around so that we can deal extra damage with our commander's attack trigger, but we also want to get the burn and cascade that these two cards provide.</p>
<p>It'll often be best to use as few Treasures as possible to cast our spells, relying instead on our lands. This lets us get the desired effect from both Alchemist's Talent and Rain of Riches, while still preserving our artifact tokens for future use.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Professional Face-Breaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alchemist&#039;s Talent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rain of Riches"></div></div>
<p>At the top end of our mana curve, there's a few other fantastic spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Depthshaker Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Depthshaker Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns each of our Treasures into 3/3 trampling creatures that can become 6/6s if we spread out our attacks. While <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-5" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is admittedly a high price to pay for this one-time effect, we'll be making more than enough Treasures to cover that cost.</p>
<p>We've also got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtue of Courage" href="#" target="_blank">Virtue of Courage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to provide us with access to tons of cards, as long as we're pointing Smaug's attack trigger damage at an opponent's face. This enchantment also works well with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ingenious Artillerist" href="#" target="_blank">Ingenious Artillerist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which ping our opponents when Treasures hit the board.</p>
<p>I've also included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hit the Mother Lode" href="#" target="_blank">Hit the Mother Lode</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a fun way to spend tons of mana. This seven-drop sorcery will often replace many of the Treasures we use to cast it, while also netting us a valuable spell from our deck in the process.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Depthshaker Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtue of Courage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hit the Mother Lode"></div></div>
<h2>How Does This Smaug the Magnificent Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Smaug can deal a good chunk of damage to our opponents with his attack trigger, but we've got a few ways to make him even more powerful. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dowsing Device" href="#" target="_blank">Dowsing Device</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nettlecyst" href="#" target="_blank">Nettlecyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will turn our flying commander into a huge beater. The fact that Dowsing Dagger flips into a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-producing land is just gravy.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dowsing Device"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nettlecyst"></div></div>
<p>We can also win the game by sacrificing artifact tokens with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaws, Relentless Predator" href="#" target="_blank">Jaws, Relentless Predator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the board. Our Treasures can sacrifice themselves quite easily, making this Shark a super effective way to whittle down out opponents' life totals. And other creatures like <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hedron Detonator" href="#" target="_blank">Hedron Detonator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Fireweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Fireweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us further damage our opponents.</p>
<p>If we've got a few of these creatures on the board, the Treasure that Smaug makes on our upkeep can represent a really solid chunk of damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaws, Relentless Predator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Weftstalker Ardent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hedron Detonator"></div></div>
<p>If our opponents manage to gain enough life to avoid being knocked out by our burn effects, we've got a few other ways to win the game. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knuckles the Echidna" href="#" target="_blank">Knuckles the Echidna</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> let us win the game if we accumulate enough artifacts. Both of these creatures help us reach their alternate win thresholds, but effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xorn" href="#" target="_blank">Xorn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Manufactor" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Manufactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help us get there even faster.</p>
<p>While we'll often try to win by more traditional means, both Knuckles and Hellkite Tyrant fit in our 99 well.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knuckles the Echidna"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Tyrant"></div></div>
<h2>Smaug the Magnificent Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Smug Smaug" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Smaug the Magnificent
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chainsaw
*1 Commander&#039;s Plate
*1 Dowsing Device // Geode Grotto
*1 Inspiring Statuary
*1 Magmatic Galleon
*1 Nettlecyst
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Tarrian&#039;s Soulcleaver
*1 The Reaver Cleaver
*1 Treasure Map // Treasure Cove
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Academy Manufactor
*1 Bonehoard Dracosaur
*1 Breya&#039;s Apprentice
*1 Captain Lannery Storm
*1 Cemetery Gatekeeper
*1 Chiss-Goria, Forge Tyrant
*1 Crime Novelist
*1 Depthshaker Titan
*1 Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
*1 Generous Plunderer
*1 Glóin, Dwarf Emissary
*1 Goblin Engineer
*1 Goldspan Dragon
*1 Hedron Detonator
*1 Hellkite Tyrant
*1 Ingenious Artillerist
*1 Iron Myr
*1 Jaws, Relentless Predator
*1 Knuckles the Echidna
*1 Magda, the Hoardmaster
*1 Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might // Temple of Power
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Quicksmith Genius
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Reckless Fireweaver
*1 Solphim, Mayhem Dominus
*1 Swashbuckler Extraordinaire
*1 Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender
*1 Weftstalker Ardent
*1 Xorn
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Big Score
*1 Bottle-Cap Blast
*1 Demand Answers
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
*1 Tezzeret, Cruel Captain
[/Planeswalkers]
[Enchantments]
*1 Alchemist&#039;s Talent
*1 Descent into Avernus
*1 Mechanized Warfare
*1 Rain of Riches
*1 Spiteful Banditry
*1 Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*1 Hell to Pay
*1 Hit the Mother Lode
*1 Seize the Spoils
*1 Seize the Spotlight
*1 Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Fomori Vault
*1 Fountainport
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*25 Mountain
*1 The Mycosynth Gardens
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Witch&#039;s Clinic
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>As soon as <em>The Hobbit</em> was revealed, I knew we were going to see Smaug depicted on at least one legendary creature. Now that Smaug the Magnificent has been revealed, I'm super happy with the design. Smaug gets to create a hoard as the game goes on, and becomes more fearsome the larger our cache of Treasure gets!</p>
<p>I also find Smaug's power and toughness to be interesting. His vulnerability is a key point in <em>The Hobbit</em>'s plot, and that may explain why he's a 4/3 instead of a 4/4. Maybe I'm reading too far into this card's ludonarrative, though...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hapless Researcher"></div></div>
<p>Which cards from the upcoming <em>Hobbit</em> set are you most excited about? I'm obviously a fan of Smaug, but I think that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bilbo, Thief in the Night" href="#" target="_blank">Bilbo, Thief in the Night</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cool card too. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and I'll be back next week with another article!</p>


mono red treasure

Building a Magnificent Commander Deck With Smaug the Magnificent