<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

Commander Legends Set Review – White

Ultra Budget Brews - Odric, Lunarch Marshal

Conditions Allow - Brisela, Voice of Nightmares

Archetune-Up - Welcome to Nomad's Land

Archetune-Up - Oketra, Zombie Spawner

Conditions Allow - Lieutenant Kirtar

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baird, Steward of Argive" href="#" target="_blank">Baird, Steward of Argive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://christinechoi.artstation.com/">Christine Coi</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p><span id="m_7985745279735501680gmail-docs-internal-guid-971aaafd-7fff-35c2-bef7-2bbb00875c9e">Hello EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment,</em> a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</span></p>
<p>In this article we'll be taking thing slowly with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baird, Steward of Argive" href="#" target="_blank">Baird, Steward of Argive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baird, Steward of Argive"></div></div>
<p><strong>Creatures can't attack you or a planeswalker you control unless their controller pays {1} for each of those creatures.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>He's a lock piece in the command zone. This can be quite useful in the right shell, since he'll always be available to us.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p>Paying one mana for each attacking creature is not that much of a burden on our enemies. To be effective, we need to stack multiple instances of this type of effect.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>He can be used both aggressively and defensively. When used as an aggro tool, he allows us to attack with less fear of repercussion. When used as a defensive tool, he relieves some of the pressure our enemies might bring.</p>
<p>Observation 4:</p>
<p>Four mana is a lot for a mono-white commander.</p>
<p>Observation 5:</p>
<p>It's a shame that he doesn't have access to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I know that it's a great card and many non-blue decks would also love to play it, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baird, Steward of Argive" href="#" target="_blank">Baird, Steward of Argive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would really appreciate not only the Study's draw ability but also<em> </em>its taxation effect.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Baird-Sig.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-38377 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Baird-Sig.png" alt="" width="604" height="322" /></a>Here we can see that people, by stacking multiple tax effects, try to establish a board state that makes it difficult for their opponents to attack back, or even play cards. This type of support is needed because, as I mentioned before, paying one generic mana to attack isn't that much of an imposition on our enemies.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>Baird is a lock piece in the command zone - that is, he prevents them from doing something they probably want to do. He wants to slow the game down and from there take over the game by slowly accruing incremental value. Planeswalkers thrive in this style of gameplay, and the best part is that Baird can help us protect them with his ability. This at first seems like kind of an obvious direction for a Baird deck, but astonishingly, it isn't. The lack of Superfriends decks with Baird at the helm might be a symptom of the his low popularity.</p>
<p>This list will be divided, mainly, in two parts: lock pieces and planeswalkers. The first will stop our enemies from doing what they like, which paves the way for us to do what <em>we </em>like, and for our wincons to slowly grind our opponents out of the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peacekeeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Torpor Orb"></div></div>
<p>For lock pieces we are looking for ways to enhance our commander's tax ability. These effects may vary from making all spells cost more to play, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphere of Resistance" href="#" target="_blank">Sphere of Resistance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thorn of Amethyst" href="#" target="_blank">Thorn of Amethyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue" href="#" target="_blank">God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even adding extra copies of Baird's effect with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norn&#039;s Annex" href="#" target="_blank">Norn&#039;s Annex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archangel of Tithes" href="#" target="_blank">Archangel of Tithes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peacekeeper" href="#" target="_blank">Peacekeeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In a similar fashion, we're also running a creature-hosing kit with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cursed Totem" href="#" target="_blank">Cursed Totem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meekstone" href="#" target="_blank">Meekstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torpor Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Torpor Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, making it difficult for our opponents to pull ahead in the game.</p>
<p>The last batch of stax is more proactive, opting for a more direct approach to slowing our opponents down. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smokestack" href="#" target="_blank">Smokestack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes them sacrifice a number of permanents each turn; this can be a dangerous card to play, but our deck can easily negate its downside with the sheer number of tokens we can generate with our planeswalkers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rule of Law" href="#" target="_blank">Rule of Law</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ethersworn Canonist" href="#" target="_blank">Ethersworn Canonist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, at first, each seem a bit like a nonbo with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baird, Steward of Argive" href="#" target="_blank">Baird, Steward of Argive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but consider that each of these cards make recovering from a board wipe extremely difficult.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ugin, the Ineffable"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gideon, Jura"></div></div>
<p>For our planeswalker suite, we're rocking 14. They don't seem like all that much in a vacuum, but once we have a firm grasp on the game they quickly show their value. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a win condition and a board staller. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn, Scion of Urza" href="#" target="_blank">Karn, Scion of Urza</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a way to generate card advantage, and he has the added benefit of providing a body to block when necessary. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn, the Great Creator" href="#" target="_blank">Karn, the Great Creator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works as both a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Null Rod" href="#" target="_blank">Null Rod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect and a small clock. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teyo, the Shieldmage" href="#" target="_blank">Teyo, the Shieldmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice addition that can help block on the ground by providing a couple of Walls and giving us hexproof. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin, the Ineffable" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin, the Ineffable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best planeswalkers available to us; he draws us cards, provides chump blockers, and he has a little bit of mana acceleration built in, making him a true all-around card.</p>
<p>Aside from the main structure of the deck, there're a few support cards that are worth mentioning: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Contagion Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Contagion Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn&#039;s Bastion" href="#" target="_blank">Karn&#039;s Bastion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the <em>Proliferate</em> on-demand cards, which is very helpful when trying to sustain our planeswalkers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karmic Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Karmic Justice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes it very dangerous for our opponents to destroy any of our lockdown pieces. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena Rector" href="#" target="_blank">Arena Rector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice way to cheat into play one of our bigger planeswalkers (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn Liberated" href="#" target="_blank">Karn Liberated</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin, the Spirit Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin, the Spirit Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div id="mtgh_34bc4" class="mtgh">
<div class="header"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Baird Superfriend Prison" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Baird, Steward of Argive
[/Commander]
[Planeswalker]
*Gideon of the Trials
*Teyo, the Shieldmage
*Ajani, Strength of the Pride
*Elspeth, Knight-Errant
*Gideon, Champion of Justice
*Karn, Scion of Urza
*Karn, the Great Creator
*The Wanderer
*Elspeth Tirel
*Gideon Jura
*Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
*Ugin, the Ineffable
*Karn Liberated
*Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
[/Planeswalker]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Meekstone
*Relic of Progenitus
*Sol Ring
*Coldsteel Heart
*Cursed Totem
*Fellwar Stone
*Heart of Kiran
*Marble Diamond
*Mind Stone
*Pearl Medallion
*Prismatic Lens
*Sphere of Resistance
*Thorn of Amethyst
*Torpor Orb
*Treasure Map
*Winter Orb
*Extraplanar Lens
*Hedron Archive
*Smokestack
*The Chain Veil
*Norn&#039;s Annex
*Caged Sun
*Contagion Engine
*God-Pharaoh&#039;s Statue
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Land Tax
*Dawn of Hope
*Luminarch Ascension
*Rest in Peace
*Grasp of Fate
*Karmic Justice
*Oath of Gideon
*Rule of Law
*Smothering Tithe
[/Enchantment]
[Creature]
*Ethersworn Canonist
*Peacekeeper
*Archangel of Tithes
*Arena Rector
[/Creature]
[Instant]
*Enlightened Tutor
*Path to Exile
*Swords to Plowshares
*Disenchant
*White Sun&#039;s Zenith
*Ignite the Beacon
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Fragmentize
*Call the Gatewatch
*Day of Judgment
*Wrath of god
*Austere Command
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Ancient Tomb
*Buried Ruin
*Inventors&#039; Fair
*Karn&#039;s Bastion
*Ghost Quarter
*Tectonic Edge
*Secluded Steppe
*29 Snow-Covered Plains
[/Land]"></span></div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<p>The biggest issue with the list, and with mono-white in general, is the lack of card draw; this makes our games somewhat dependent on starting hands and/or lucking out with our draws. Aside from that, the deck runs pretty smoothly, with lots of answers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="White Sun&#039;s Zenith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Luminarch Ascension"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dawn of Hope"></div></div>
<p>Aside from the aforementioned wincons, we can still win the game by beating down our opponents with tokens. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="White Sun&#039;s Zenith" href="#" target="_blank">White Sun&#039;s Zenith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great flexible finisher that can be cashed out early in the game if needed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Luminarch Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Luminarch Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good constant source of tokens. It's reasonably easy to get online, but still we shouldn't be slamming it down until we can protect ourselves.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, we want some sort of acceleration and a lock piece; the planeswalkers can come later on. The most important part here is curving out well and making sure our own lockdown and taxation effects don't affect our own board.</p>
<p>In the early game, we need to accelerate our mana by playing our mana rocks. The difference between playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smokestack" href="#" target="_blank">Smokestack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even any random planeswalker on turn three instead of turn four is huge, because that could give our opponents the time they need to pull ahead of us. In many cases, there's no coming back from that especially against ramp-heavy decks.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, we should hope to have assembled some sort of combination of lockdown effects. Having multiple of those is really important because, when alone, they are usually only a small nuisance, but together, they absolutely prevent our enemies from playing effectively. This is usually the time when we need to start thinking about playing planeswalkers, and our decision to play or not should be based on board state and whether or not we can protect them. Sometimes, if we have multiple in hand, we can try to test the waters, but I would take caution since we can't recover them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gideon, Champion of Justice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ignite the Beacon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Chain Veil"></div></div>
<p>By the late game it becomes a bit easier to take over the board with an active planeswalker or two. By this point most of the creature-heavy decks have already lost gas because of our numerous board wipes. However, our taxing effects can become obsolete quite quickly (that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rule of Law" href="#" target="_blank">Rule of Law</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't all that threatening once people are in top-deck mode), and the "political tool" that we lose by playing this kind of deck can be too much for us to recover from. Be very precise with your timing, both when you choose to deploy the tax and stax effects <em>and </em>when you choose to deploy your win conditions. That's how you'll emerge victorious.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<p>This list was light on the token subtheme; going forward, I could see how investing more oon the token strategy could be enjoyable. Alternatively, we could go the other way around and opt for more of a "hatebears" approach with effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalia, Guardian of Thraben" href="#" target="_blank">Thalia, Guardian of Thraben</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leonin Arbiter" href="#" target="_blank">Leonin Arbiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Adding mass land destruction spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armageddon" href="#" target="_blank">Armageddon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can also be quite effective at locking people out of the game; just be sure to check with your playgroup if they're okay with it, since it's not everyone's cup of tea.</p>
<p>If you feel that you're getting aggro'd by the table, investing into more board wipes and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Prison" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Prison</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects might help taking the edge off you.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Helm of the Host"></div></div>
<p>One fun little "combo" that I see very often is equipping <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to our commander. This might be a bit clunky, but it's fun and should be considered when investing heavily into tokens.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment!</em> What do you think about this list? Did it manage to defend our planeswalkers? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Baird Superfriend Prison

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blind Obedience" href="#" target="_blank">Blind Obedience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.sebmckinnon.com/">Seb Mckinnon</a>)</h6>
<h1><strong>Now!</strong></h1>
<p>Greetings everyone, and welcome back to <em>Monomania</em>. In this article series we build mono-colored decks as a way to explore ramp and draw packages that are synergistic with our particular deck’s strategy, and to challenge staples and misconceptions about the color pie. Today, we’re masterminding our escape plan.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mangara of Corondor"></div></div>
<p>Mangara of Corondor looks very innocent, but his effect is surprisingly potent with the right support. Every turn, he can remove the most problematic permanent on the board at the low low cost of exiling himself in the process. Played fairly, this commander quickly becomes too expensive to cast from the command zone. However, take a close look at that ability. Mangara exiles himself as part of the ability, not as part of the activation cost. With ways to flicker or bounce Mangara back to our hand in response to his ability, we can still exile the worst permanent, and evade extra taxes on our commander, using our general as a powerful tool to control the board.</p>
<p>Looking through Mangara's EDHREC page, it is clear that people generally understand the power of this interaction—<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudshift" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flickerform" href="#" target="_blank">Flickerform</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> appear in 63% of Mangara decks, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erratic Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Erratic Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> appears in 59%. Another EDHREC writer, <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/author/ben-doolittle/">Ben Doolittle</a>, has already written a great article about Mangara and blink effects. Check it out <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/conditions-allow-mangara-of-corondor/">here</a>. However, Mangara still only leads 59 decks on EDHREC and deserves much more love, so I’ll examine another angle for this general.</p>
<p>While we’ll be running all of the typical flicker support in white, I’ve also decided to take this commander in a couple different directions, all of which affect how we will ramp and gain card advantage. Because Mangara is such a powerful control tool, I’ve included a lifegain package as added deterrence. The threat of crackback from Mangara sometimes isn’t enough to prevent aggression, but if we’re sitting at 80 life, our opponents will think twice before menacing us, especially if we can remove their most important permanents with our general. I’ve opted for a piecemeal approach—gaining life incrementally over the course of the game. We’ll be running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leonin Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Leonin Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diamond Mare" href="#" target="_blank">Diamond Mare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> rather than big swings like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beacon of Immortality" href="#" target="_blank">Beacon of Immortality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I’ve also included a small creature strategy to maintain some board presence—things for us to flicker, protect our commander, or combo off with.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/chopper.gif"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-37695 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/chopper.gif" alt="" width="384" height="206" /></a></p>
<p>With all that in mind, let’s examine our ramp and draw packages. We'll be dropping Mangara into the heat of battle, gaining value from our troops, and then dropping a ladder from the helicopter for a quick escape.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>Keep the Engine Idling</strong></h2>
<p>First, we have our card advantage package. While we do have the ability to draw cards with this set of effects, our package is more focused around deck thinning and putting cards from our deck into our hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Well of Lost Dreams"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dawn of Hope"></div></div>
<p>These two cards are powerhouses with our style of life-gain package. If we were playing swingy, expensive lifegain effects, we would often be unable to take advantage of these card advantage engines. With a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul’s Attendant" href="#" target="_blank">Soul’s Attendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the table, though, paying a few mana during our opponents' turns to draw cards is exactly what we want to do. At its core, Mangara is a control general, and we’ll often leave mana open to respond to different board states. If we have nothing better to do, why not incidentally draw cards?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Land Tax"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oreskos Explorer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Endless Horizons"></div></div>
<p>In my opinion, this set of cards, along with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gift of Estates" href="#" target="_blank">Gift of Estates</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is an underrated package for mono-white. Everyone knows Land Tax is insane, but I wager that these deck-thinning effects are valuable for a few reasons. Each of them provides a stellar rate of cards-to-hand for their mana costs. What’s more, they give us a greater chance of drawing nonland cards afterward. Oreskos Explorer is perhaps the most underwhelming of the bunch, especially when compared to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boreas Charger" href="#" target="_blank">Boreas Charger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the fact that this composite effect of deck thinning and card advantage is perfect for us—especially when attached to an ETB that can be easily abused by blink effects that we’re already running. While Land Tax and Oreskos are both limited by the condition of “if an opponent controls more lands than you,” it should almost never be a burden. How many times has the mono-white player controlled the most lands?</p>
<p>Finally, Endless Horizons is a very underrated tool in mono-white. It only appears in 986 decks total on EDHREC, but it should be a consideration for almost every mono-white deck. This is white’s answer to <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>—with the same power and shortcomings. With Endless Horizons, you draw one extra card per turn and receive the bonus of incredible thinning. Just don’t make the mistake of removing all the Plains from your deck early in the game. If an opponent removes it, you will be shut off from further land drops. Instead, think about what you want. How many cards do you think is fair for four mana? Eight? Nine? How many more turns before the game ends? Six? Seven? These are the questions that direct how you play Endless Horizons. In the late game, this card may easily be better than Phyrexian Arena—removing the rest of our Plains from the deck and ensuring playable draws for the remainder of the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ranger of Eos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ranger-Captain of Eos"></div></div>
<p>Finally, we have two other cards that can thin our deck and gain us card advantage. These effects that search for creatures that cost one mana can fetch some of the most important creatures in our deck. The real benefit of these cards is that their effects are attached to ETB triggers—perfect targets to flicker.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>Get This Thing Off the Ground</strong></h2>
<p>To ramp, we’ll be looking for similar types of effects—cards that thin our deck, gain us life, and put extra mana sources on the field.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kor Cartographer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knight of the White Orchid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boreas Charger"></div></div>
<p>These three cards each search out one land and put it directly onto the battlefield, the best form of ramp available. What’s more, each is attached to an ETB trigger. Second verse, same as the first: these are perfect targets for flicker effects. If we can take advantage of these triggers more than once, we will be able to keep up with most of our opponents on ramp and can even end the game with most of our lands on the battlefield.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pristine Talisman"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orazca Relic"></div></div>
<p>Finally, we have a couple of mana rocks. While these are both suboptimal choices among their peers, they have the ability to gain us life, therefore synergizing with the strategy that underpins our deck. This, perhaps, is not necessarily the best reason to run them over better two-mana options, but we should also consider what we are ramping to. Our commander costs three mana, and is actually better on turn six than he is on turn two. With these two ramp effects, we can pace ourselves and hopefully take advantage of their lifegain with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Well of Lost Dreams" href="#" target="_blank">Well of Lost Dreams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> rather than rushing to nothing.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>The Deck</strong></h2>
<p>With all this in mind, let’s put it all together with a deck list. With all of our packages, there is little room for extra tech, but there are still a few notable inclusions.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Citywide Bust"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scapegoat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Enduring Renewal"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Among these, we have a suite of precision mass removal effects including Citywide Bust, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slaughter the Strong" href="#" target="_blank">Slaughter the Strong</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dusk // Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Dusk // Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With our low curve, tiny creatures, and blink effects, these removal spells will disrupt our opponents much, much more than us. Scapegoat is an all-star in this deck. For one mana at instant speed, this is a potent way to protect our creatures from removal or double up on ETB triggers. This card only sees play in 136 decks total on EDHREC and it deserves consideration not only here, but maybe even in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brago, King Eternal" href="#" target="_blank">Brago, King Eternal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roon of the Hidden Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Roon of the Hidden Realm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks. Finally, I have included a combo to end the game that fits with our packages. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enduring Renewal" href="#" target="_blank">Enduring Renewal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combined with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memnite" href="#" target="_blank">Memnite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasting Station" href="#" target="_blank">Blasting Station</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can win us the game in a pinch and is easy to assemble for us. Take a look at the list below and, as always, season to taste.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Get to the Chopper!" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Mangara of Corondor
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Memnite
*1 Giver of Runes
*1 Leonin Elder
*1 Mother of Runes
*1 Soul Warden
*1 Soul&#039;s Attendant
*1 Auriok Champion
*1 Diamond Mare
*1 Jeskai Barricade
*1 Knight of the White Orchid
*1 Oreskos Explorer
*1 Suture Priest
*1 Wall of Omens
*1 Whitemane Lion
*1 Boreas Charger
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Eldrazi Displacer
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Ranger-Captain of Eos
*1 Stonecloaker
*1 Angel of Condemnation
*1 Dust Elemental
*1 Kor Cartographer
*1 Ranger of Eos
*1 Restoration Angel
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sunscorch Regent
*1 Angel of Serenity
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Cloudshift
*1 Enlightened Tutor
*1 Scapegoat
*1 Acrobatic Maneuver
*1 Eerie Interlude
*1 Ghostway
*1 Lapse of Certainty
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Gift of Estates
*1 Citywide Bust
*1 Slaughter the Strong
*1 Fumigate
*1 Austere Command
*1 Dusk // Dawn
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Blasting Station
*1 Orazca Relic
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Thousand-Year Elixir
*1 Aetherflux Reservoir
*1 Erratic Portal
*1 Oracle&#039;s Vault
*1 Well of Lost Dreams
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Authority of the Consuls
*1 Land Tax
*1 Blind Obedience
*1 Dawn of Hope
*1 Flickerform
*1 Luminarch Ascension
*1 Endless Horizons
*1 Enduring Renewal
*1 Smothering Tithe
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Desert of the True
*1 Detection Tower
*1 Drifting Meadow
*1 Endless Sands
*1 Glimmerpost
*1 Myriad Landscape
*25 Plains
*1 Radiant Fountain
*1 Secluded Steppe
*1 Seraph Sanctuary
*1 Terrain Generator
*1 Zoetic Cavern
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<p>What did you all think of this take on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mangara of Corondor" href="#" target="_blank">Mangara of Corondor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Is there anything I missed in the construction of this deck? I've had a lot of fun playing this commander over the years, and I circle back to Mangara every once in a while. Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. Have a good one, and I’ll see you on down the road.</p>


mono white