Under the Radar - Apothecary White

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.adamrex.com/">Adam Rex</a>)</h6>
<h1>Technically Playable - Celestial Kirin</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="Celestial Kirin"></div></div></p>
<p>Based on the number of times I've seen this card pop up while randomly hitting the random button on EDHREC (for non-article-related reasons), and based on the number I pulled from <em>Mystery Boosters</em>, I think this article was inevitable. And honestly, I think building this deck in paper will eventually happen too because there is some very cool tech that has been released for this commander in the last few years.</p>
<h2>That's the Spirit(s)!</h2>
<p>Celestial Kirin is part of a mono-colored cycle from the original <em>Kamigawa</em> block that all trigger and have an effect when you cast a Spirit or an Arcane spell. Luckily for us, there have been a lot of good Spirits printed across the last few years. But there is a caveat to this. Because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cares about the mana cost of the cards that you play, it's important to make sure that you are loading your deck with cards that hit the most prominent mana values in the format. For this, we can use EDHREC's <a href="https://edhrec.com/top">Top Cards</a> section on the site to see which mana values are the most common.</p>
<p>In the top two rows of EDHREC's top cards (14 cards) there are only three permanents, <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dimir Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Dimir Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. When you expand this to the top four rows (24 cards) you get into a lot more permanents, twelve in total (including the three mentioned previously). Of these twelve permanents, nine of them have a mana value two, two have a mana value one and one of a mana value of three. Based on this, it's clear that mana values of one, two and three are key, and we should have a critical mass of spells with the rest of the cards being spread more evenly across the other values. The mana value we want to avoid the most however should be four as that would result in destroying <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Probably the best two mana Spirit is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not only is it a flier that hits the two mana value that we're after, but it also allows us to sacrifice it when casting another spell to protect our own board - I'll go into more detail about this in a later section. Regarding the other mana values, there are a ton of great options like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nikko-Onna" href="#" target="_blank">Nikko-Onna</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> which not only wipes the board of mana value three permanents, but also removes another enchantment, all packaged with the ability to return itself to your hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selfless Spirit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nikko-Onna"></div></div>
<p>You also have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of False Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of False Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a white <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spore Frog" href="#" target="_blank">Spore Frog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that will remove any one mana value cards from the board and protect you from combat damage for a turn. Probably the best two cards for to ensure you hit every mana value are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin&#039;s Conjurant" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin&#039;s Conjurant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate" href="#" target="_blank">Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These cards have <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> as their mana costs respectively, giving you flexibility to hit any mana value that has problematic permanents in play.</p>
<p>As well as the cards themselves, there are also some ways to support the Spirit theme and to make sure you have access to any mana value you need. Of course you have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald&#039;s Horn" href="#" target="_blank">Herald&#039;s Horn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and your typical typal support, but for Spirits and Arcane spells in particular you have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Long-Forgotten Gohei" href="#" target="_blank">Long-Forgotten Gohei</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> which supports both elements of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s focus. However, the most important card to support <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the often overlooked <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Citanul Flute" href="#" target="_blank">Citanul Flute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The reason why most decks don't want this artifact is because it has quite a prohibitive cost (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-5" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> mana followed by <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> mana just to put a creature into your hand is a lot) but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ability benefits from having access to specific mana costs at specific times. Being able to pick and choose what you have access to is incredibly useful for our deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ugin&#039;s Conjurant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Citanul Flute"></div></div>
<h2>Celestial Kirin? More like Celestial <em>Winning</em>!</h2>
<p>Horrific pun aside, you <strong>do</strong> need a win condition in a Commander deck, and that can be tough when your deck is focused around blowing up the entire world every single turn. The way around this is to find win conditions that are either a high mana cost that you likely won't cast very often, a win condition that benefits from removing your own creatures or something very niche like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barren Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Barren Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. For <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barren Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Barren Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I won't go into more detail because I won't be able to do it justice like <a href="https://commandersherald.com/going-brokkos-celestial-kirin-barren-glory-sweep-tribal/?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article_preview">this Commander's Herald article did back in 2021</a>.</p>
<p>Moving on though, the main win condition for this deck is probably through amassing a huge army of tokens and attacking. This is because you're unlikely to play and zero mana value Spirits or Arcane spells so they are safe from your own board wipes and the cards you want to play to make tokens are mana values that you don't want to play very often. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens" href="#" target="_blank">Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great example of this as it creates a 3/3 every single time you play a Spirit and dodges most of your Spirit's mana values at a whopping seven mana value itself. The weakness of this is obvious however, as it has no built-in protection so playing it on turn seven and nothing else.</p>
<p>Alternatively, you can also use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Field of Souls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Court of Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Field of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (depending on your mana base) to create an army of tokens. These are great options because they have a mana value of four, this is important as you'll likely avoid playing too many four cost cards since they will also destroy your commander. Furthermore, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Field of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just incredibly broken since it dodges everything outside of land destruction, and we all know what Commander players thing about that.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barren Glory"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oyobi, Who Split the Heavens"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Field of Souls"></div></div>
<h2>Keeping Your Spirits Alive</h2>
<p>While there are a ton of good ways to win while destroying your own permanents, one of the best ways to win through board wipes is to keep your stuff alive through them. There are some obvious options like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Protection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flawless Maneuver" href="#" target="_blank">Flawless Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> but here at <em>Technically Playable</em> we like to look at some more niche cards.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emeria Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Emeria Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the most underrated white cards from what I've seen, but it has incredible value potential. Using cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble" href="#" target="_blank">Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolving Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Evolving Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> you can turbo out a ton of lands allowing you to even overtake some of a green deck's ramp. This is also important when trying to reanimate creatures that have been destroyed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If you combine the Shepherd with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roaming Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Roaming Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> you can even use the plains from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolving Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Evolving Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to bring back a creature and the Wilds repeatedly to imitate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>You can also back up your Spirit package with indestructible creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myojin of Cleansing Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Myojin of Cleansing Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits this deck really well as it is both indestructible and can be used as a board wipe when you need it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avacyn, Angel of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Avacyn, Angel of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also an excellent option and while she is expensive to cast returning her with something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emeria Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Emeria Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Late to Dinner" href="#" target="_blank">Late to Dinner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help to get her out much earlier to protect your other creatures. One of my favorite combinations is Avacyn and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudsteel Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudsteel Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to effectively have an indestructible <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Platinum Angel" href="#" target="_blank">Platinum Angel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Finally you have a couple of even more niche options. Since it's a Spirits deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Boon" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Boon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an amazing option as you can choose "Spirit" and make any of them indestructible for the low cost of two mana. This also combos with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myojin of Cleansing Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Myojin of Cleansing Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give you a repeatable board wipe. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon Blackblade" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon Blackblade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another, cheaper option allows you to choose your most important creature and keep it alive for one turn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emeria Shepherd"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Myojin of Cleansing Fire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kindred Boon"></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="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a commander, and a few of the cards that can really make a deck with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as the commander tick. Let me know in the comments below if you play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, if you want to build a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celestial Kirin" href="#" target="_blank">Celestial Kirin</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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Technically Playable - Celestial Kirin

Power Sink - Light Paws Goes To Vegas

Wombo Combo - Mono-White Edition

Rally the Ancestors - Kataki and The Fun Police

Too-Specific Top 10 - Mono-White Pauper Control

Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (White)

Archetune-Up - With AAAARMS Wide Open

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleansing Meditation" href="#" target="_blank">Cleansing Meditation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ron.spears.1?_fb_noscript=1">Ron Spears</a>)</h6>
<h1>Inhale</h1>
<p>We find ourselves in a tranquil place, austere and empty. But there is no loneliness in this void. Rather, there's an effortless connection across distance with the purity of all, for, with a bit of transcendental meditation, you can find yourself with an enchantment in the command zone, and without having to resort to any rule-bending, à la <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Genju of the Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Genju of the Realm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Welcome to <em>Dual Shot</em>, where we brew two decks at the same time... in one deck. This time we're digging up an early experiment. We don't have to go all the way back to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/dual-shot-the-beginning/">the Beginning</a>, but there will be some reminiscence required.</p>
<p>The original plan could be summarized like this: make a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck and fill in the blanks. In those earliest stages, the deck didn't really turn into anything, but some recent additions in the name of frivolity have straightened our spines and set us to breathing with the evenness of deep, ego-defeating thought.</p>
<p>Of course, this still gives us a relatively bad deck. But there are two paths that then revealed themselves. With Rune-Tail's own peculiar defensive theme atop an <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/angels">Angel tribal</a> subtheme - or instead, our perma-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide an awning for "alternate win-condition tribal." Though, before the journey of ascendance can unfold, one must first sit in the incense haze, let the sound of bells carry them to silence, and begin at the waypoint of the self.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Essence of Pure Flavor" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Knight of Dawn
*1 Gold Myr
*1 Thalia&#039;s Lancers
*1 Lieutenants of the Guard
*1 White Knight
*1 Winged Shepherd
*1 Paragon of New Dawn
*1 Felidar Sovereign
*1 Kor Firewalker
*1 Soul of Theros
*1 Binding Souleater
*1 Serra&#039;s Guardian
*1 Kor Cartographer
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade
*1 Spirit of the Hearth
*1 Oreskos Explorer
*1 Relic Seeker
*1 Segovian Angel
*1 Walking Atlas
*1 Farfinder
*1 King of the Pride
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Silver Knight
*1 Pilgrim&#039;s Eye
*1 Diamond Mare
*1 Regal Caracal
*1 Bygone Bishop
*1 Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle
*1 Daring Archeologist
*1 Bounty Agent
*1 Imperial Aerosaur
*1 Adorned Pouncer
*1 Vulpikeet
*1 Danitha Capashen, Paragon
*1 Hushwing Gryff
*1 Sunblade Angel
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Mana Tithe
*1 Divine Offering
*1 Rallying Roar
*1 Riot Control
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Serene Offering
*1 Charge Across the Araba
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Not Forgotten
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Gift of Estates
*1 Triplicate Spirits
*1 Proclamation of Rebirth
*1 Morningtide
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Inquisitor&#039;s Flail
*1 White Mana Battery
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Norn&#039;s Annex
*1 Chaos Wand
*1 Star Compass
*1 Lich&#039;s Mirror
*1 Angel&#039;s Feather
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Farsight Mask
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Angelic Destiny
*1 Stasis Cocoon
*1 Face of Divinity
*1 Noble Stand
*1 Thopter Arrest
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*27 Plains
*1 Zhalfirin Void
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 Daru Encampment
*1 Emergence Zone
*1 Encroaching Wastes
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Mantra</h2>
<p>This list is fine, but it needs more duality. A mono-white pilot that requires a certain life total to do its job immediately leads one to <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/lifegain">lifegain</a>. Since that felt too on-the-nose (and because lifegain tends to benefit from another color or two), a slight pivot to an adjacent theme of <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/angels">Angel tribal</a> was in order, and it works well to keep us above 30 for Rune-Tail.</p>
<p>As it stands, there's a lot of weird inclusions to excise. The weird <em>Dual Shot</em> beta list here was brought to 99 pretty much by adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vulpikeet" href="#" target="_blank">Vulpikeet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so a lot needs to change to reliably incorporate the angelic subtheme.</p>
<p>That means out with Rune-Tail's vulpine friend, and we'll also make our peace with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="King of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">King of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adorned Pouncer" href="#" target="_blank">Adorned Pouncer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The last thing this list needs is tertiary <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/cats">Cat tribal</a>, although house cats do seem to be in some sort of meditative state most of the time. What we'll lose in cuteness, we'll gain in more sensible slot-fillers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bishop of Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angelic Field Marshal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lyra Dawnbringer"></div></div>
<p>Let's shed some more unwanted thoughts in the pursuit of mindfulness, and attenuation with the divine. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Danitha Capashen, Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Danitha Capashen, Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regal Caracal" href="#" target="_blank">Regal Caracal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imperial Aerosaur" href="#" target="_blank">Imperial Aerosaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. How'd these even get in here? Well, there they are - let's breathe them out. And if we're hoping to provide a cleaner curve to our angelic host:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starnheim Aspirant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Righteous Valkyrie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Resplendent Angel"></div></div>
<p>All right, so that most seraphic of tribes offers a good deal of obvious flexibility in replacing our chakra-clogging chaff. And hark! there are plenty amongst the host that lean into the bridge of high life totals : <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Vitality" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Vitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> most obviously, and some that are more adjacent to the tribe, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Serra Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, Strength of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, Strength of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But there are still some cards that don't really belong in the list as is, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Atlas" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Atlas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; the initial brew did have a fairly low curve, but 32 lands is far too risky and makes the Atlas much more useless besides. Some of the early inclusions should be cut, simply to make room for about four more lands. But if we divert our meditations from the Angel strategy, and indeed most combat in general, we can also exclude <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireshrieker" href="#" target="_blank">Fireshrieker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inquisitor&#039;s Flail" href="#" target="_blank">Inquisitor&#039;s Flail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>What then? Inquisitor's Flail especially benefits from Rune-Tail, but rather than relying on Fog to win in combat, our meditative ideal can keep us afloat and gum up the board while we assemble instant wins: sudden realizations achieved after a long, transformative vision quest. That the divine was within us all along, and all our sacred icons, as beautiful as they are, are manifestations of ourselves.</p>
<p>So in addition to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felidar Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Felidar Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, let's decide what we can do with all the space given to us in the absence of our celestial guides.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel&#039;s Grace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Celestial Convergence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Test of Endurance"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Mindfulness</h2>
<p>Oh, I guess that's it. Sure, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barren Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Barren Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Near-Death Experience" href="#" target="_blank">Near-Death Experience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but this isn't the list to enable that level of esoterica. So we can comfortably run about four self-contained alternate win-cons, as well as some flavorful support pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Angel&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon of the Trials" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon of the Trials</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We can achieve a modicum of transcendence with this cluttered list, transforming our muddied energy into something more focused. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide a thin layer of protective fog, otherwise obfuscating an Angel supertheme atop an alternate win condition subtheme.</p>
<p>Perhaps one space for white's design to meaningfully expand into could be alternate win conditions, given its purview of the rule-writers. In lieu of that, it does have great means with which to find those forgotten laws. From <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Rector" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Rector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Idyllic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Idyllic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, "alternate win-con tribal" is certainly functional, if a little awkward. As for the correlation to Angels, there are two shining examples to act a bridge between themes, and through tempered practice, forge that mind-body connection so necessary to meditation.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Platinum Angel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Destiny"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Exhale</h2>
<p>That's it for this meditation session. When have you managed to take one of <em>Magic</em>'s iconic tribes and reframe it alongside a new approach? Angels and Dragons and Demons and the like are all well-suited to focused isolation, but when have they worked in some strange tandem for you? Let us know in the comments below!</p>
<p>It's nice to take a look at these old decks that helped shape the experiment, but going forward will be a trend of explorations more suited to duality. Commanders like the Kirin, for example, all neatly direct a deckbuilder towards divergent themes. And furthermore, in anticipation of the 20th <em>Dual Shot</em>, a deviation from the usual lists and deck techs should avail us of studying some rudiments of synergy - and allow us to take a closer peak at the idea of "bridge" cards - where commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> so obviously invite us to try two (or more) things at once, which cards actually enable such parallel strategies?</p>
<p>Well then, until next time. Namaste.</p>


Dual Shot - Divine Meditation

Conditions Allow - Mageta the Lion

mono white