<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</em></p>
<p>This past week was full of previews from <em>Final Fantasy</em>, the newest <em>Universes Beyond</em> set for <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. Because of the longevity of the beloved <em>Square Enix</em> video game series, the set is extremely expansive. In fact, this set is so comprehensive that its spoiler season will last about three weeks altogether! With that, here are some of the most interesting and impactful cards to grace the set, released this past week.</p>
<h2>May 12th <em>Final Fantasy</em> Previews</h2>
<p>The scarcity of new content on May 11th made the following day's previews feel extremely refreshing. Plus, we got a handful of cool cards, both new and reprinted alike. However, let's choose just one really good one from the set proper as well as the <em>Through the Ages</em> bonus sheet.</p>
<h3>Matoya, Archon Elder</h3>
<p>Our nomination for the coolest new preview from the main set goes to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Matoya, Archon Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Matoya, Archon Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While not an Archon <em>nor</em> an Elder in creature type, Matoya is still a very strong Human Warlock. It exceeds the power of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eligeth, Crossroads Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Eligeth, Crossroads Augur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not by sheer force or effectiveness of ability, but by costing far less mana for an ability that is above rate in comparison. It's quite good in decks that want to scry or surveil to your heart's delight.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Matoya, Archon Elder"></div></div>
<p>Beyond this, there weren't a <em>ton</em> of extremely impactful new cards revealed this past Monday. However, we <em>did</em> get a cool card from <em>Through the</em> Ages.</p>
<h3>Syr Konrad, the Grim as "Golbez, Clad in Darkness"</h3>
<p>According to Scryfall, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Konrad, the Grim" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Konrad, the Grim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is getting a reskin in <em>Through the Ages</em> as Golbez, the big bad from <em>Final Fantasy IV</em>. While the card's render isn't available in English so far, the stunning art by legendary concept artist <strong>Yoshitaka Amano</strong> is worth mentioning here.</p>
<div id="attachment_153055" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Golbez-Clad-in-Darkness.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153055" class="wp-image-153055" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Golbez-Clad-in-Darkness.jpg" alt="Syr Konrad, the Grim as FFIV antagonist Golbez, with a classic piece of art by famed Final Fantasy illustrator Yoshitaka Amano. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Golbez-Clad-in-Darkness.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Golbez-Clad-in-Darkness-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153055" class="wp-caption-text">Syr Konrad, the Grim as <em>FFIV</em> antagonist Golbez, with a classic piece of art by famed <em>Final Fantasy</em> illustrator <strong>Yoshitaka Amano</strong>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<p>With that, let's go forth to Tuesday, May 13th!</p>
<h2>May 13th <em>Final Fantasy </em>Previews</h2>
<p>The previews from May 12th were fun, but Tuesday, May 13th, is where the previews for the week really started to pick up. The <a href="http://twitch.tv/magic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WeeklyMTG live stream on Twitch</a> showcased quite a few cool things in an "Ultima" theme. This included the 2-player Starter Set for the expansion as well as many, many promo cards. However, one card from that stream stood out above the rest:</p>
<h3>Ultima, Origin of Oblivion</h3>
<p>To round out the awesome theme that the stream showed off, <strong>Blake Rasmussen</strong> and <strong>Gavin Verhey</strong> showed the public <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion" href="#" target="_blank">Ultima, Origin of Oblivion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ultima, Origin of Oblivion"></div></div>
<p>Ultima is a fantastic colorless creature that likely qualifies as "mass land denial" for those keeping track of the Brackets for their Commander decks. It'll find a home in many decks run by Eldrazi or other colorless commanders. It might even be good enough to take over as the commander of those decks. Time will tell if players will be responsible about using Ultima respectfully at their tables!</p>
<p>Moving on, there was only one <em>Through the Ages</em> reprint for May 13th (not counting promo cards), but it was pretty cool:</p>
<h3>Brainstorm as "Endwalker"</h3>
<p>Endwalker, a reskin of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, shows a scene of the party from <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>. Having Brainstorm as a reprint in the bonus sheet of this expansion is honestly really fun. Many players haven't gotten to experience the sheer power of Brainstorm in a Limited environment; now, provided they can afford it, many will!</p>
<div id="attachment_153057" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Endwalker.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153057" class="wp-image-153057" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Endwalker.jpg" alt="Endwalker, a reskin of Brainstorm from the Through the Ages bonus sheet from Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Endwalker.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Endwalker-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153057" class="wp-caption-text">Endwalker, a reskin of Brainstorm from the <em>Through the Ages</em> bonus sheet from <em>Final Fantasy</em>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<h2>May 14th <em>Final Fantasy </em>Previews</h2>
<p>Wednesday, May 14th had even <em>more</em> previews than the previous day. When we say that spoiler season really started ramping up, we aren't kidding. Therefore, it started getting difficult to choose just one great new card and reprint from the day. However, we (probably) nailed it.</p>
<h3>Choco, Seeker of Paradise</h3>
<p>When they revealed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bartz and Boko" href="#" target="_blank">Bartz and Boko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> during the debut of preview season, players speculated as to the best possible commander for the duo. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Choco, Seeker of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Choco, Seeker of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it seems, is that commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Choco, Seeker of Paradise"></div></div>
<p>This bird synergizes with many of the other Chocobo-themed cards shown so far. It facilitates <em>landfall</em> triggers in an influential way to the game. Plus, it even has a minor payoff for achieving <em>landfall</em>. Not to mention, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traveling Chocobo" href="#" target="_blank">Traveling Chocobo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> elevates Choco to an absurd degree. Hands down, Choco is the Bird commander that people wanted in <em>Final Fantasy</em>.</p>
<h3>Yawgmoth, Thran Physician as "The Emperor, Hell Tyrant"</h3>
<p>The Emperor is one of the scariest antagonists in <em>Final Fantasy</em>, originally from <em>FFII</em>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yawgmoth, Thran Physician" href="#" target="_blank">Yawgmoth, Thran Physician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the scariest (if not <em>the</em> scariest) big-bads of <em>Magic</em>. Therefore, this merging of properties makes a ton of sense for the <em>Through the Ages</em> sheet. Behold!</p>
<div id="attachment_153058" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-14-25-TTA-The-Emperor-Hell-Tyrant-Yawgmoth-Thran-Physician.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153058" class="wp-image-153058" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-14-25-TTA-The-Emperor-Hell-Tyrant-Yawgmoth-Thran-Physician.jpg" alt="Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, as The Emperor, Hell Tyrant. Originally illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano for FFII. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-14-25-TTA-The-Emperor-Hell-Tyrant-Yawgmoth-Thran-Physician.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-14-25-TTA-The-Emperor-Hell-Tyrant-Yawgmoth-Thran-Physician-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153058" class="wp-caption-text">Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, as The Emperor, Hell Tyrant. Originally illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano for <em>FFII</em>. Image credits: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<h2>May 15th <em>Final Fantasy </em>Previews</h2>
<p>On Thursday, May 15th, we got fewer big-deal previews from within the set proper, but we got a bunch of cool <em>Through the Ages</em> reveals. While there's much potential for debate over the coolest <em>TTA</em> card from May 15th, there is no contest about that within the new cards from the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set at large:</p>
<h3>Triple Triad</h3>
<p>According to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/morgan-sanchez" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Morgan Sanchez</strong></a>, our Content Operations Manager here at EDHREC, "[They] put a card game into your card game so you can card game while you card game." Truer words could not have been spoken, Chief. Here's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triple Triad" href="#" target="_blank">Triple Triad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, revealed by <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/amazonian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazonian</a>:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triple Triad"></div></div>
<p>Thinking more about this riff on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunbird&#039;s Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Sunbird&#039;s Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it feels somehow sacred to have the layers that Triple Triad does, in a flavor sense. In the <em>Final Fantasy</em> video game series, Triple Triad is a collectible card game minigame. This card is now in a set based on that video game. And to make matters even more funny, it causes a really cool minigame-style scenario! The layers are <em>deep</em>, dear reader!</p>
<h3>Rhystic Study as "Stay with Me"</h3>
<p><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> is a card that basically <em>always</em> needs a reprint from a standpoint of card accessibility. However, for reasons of Constructed destabilization, it's remarkably difficult to insert into a set. Fortunately, <em>Final Fantasy</em> has a great bonus sheet opportunity with <em>Through the Ages</em>.</p>
<div id="attachment_153059" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-15-25-TTA-Stay-with-Me-Rhystic-Study.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153059" class="wp-image-153059" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-15-25-TTA-Stay-with-Me-Rhystic-Study.jpg" alt="Stay with Me, a reskin of Rhystic Study with art from FFX. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-15-25-TTA-Stay-with-Me-Rhystic-Study.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-15-25-TTA-Stay-with-Me-Rhystic-Study-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153059" class="wp-caption-text">Stay with Me, a reskin of Rhystic Study with art from <em>FFX</em>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<p>Rhystic Study is as oppressive as ever, but its inclusion on the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer</a> list may cause it to see a bit less play. However, with more players opening the card than they have been previously, some players might want to use their shiny new card. Time will tell!</p>
<h2>May 16th <em>Final Fantasy </em>Previews</h2>
<p>That brings us to Friday, May 16th. While the day isn't quite over yet, the cards previewed so far are plentiful. We have seen a fair few cards from the set proper and even more <em>Through the Ages</em> cards. These are the two cards that might be the coolest spoilers for the day.</p>
<h3>Summon: Knights of Round</h3>
<p>Many players across social media had highly anticipated Summon: Knights of Round. While it's slow for a creature card, as a Saga card, it's quite competent. This is especially true in formats like Commander where Sagas have more value to them due to increased synergies.</p>
<div id="attachment_153069" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-FIN-Summon-Knights-of-Round.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153069" class="wp-image-153069" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-FIN-Summon-Knights-of-Round.jpg" alt="Summon: Knights of Round, a new card from Final Fantasy. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-FIN-Summon-Knights-of-Round.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-FIN-Summon-Knights-of-Round-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153069" class="wp-caption-text">Summon: Knights of Round, a new card from <em>Final Fantasy</em>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<p>Also, that last ability is <em>extremely</em> powerful. It could even lead to the end of games with a big enough board state!</p>
<h3>Tymna the Weaver as "Cecil Harvey"</h3>
<p>The last <em>Through the Ages</em> card we will go over in this recap is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tymna the Weaver" href="#" target="_blank">Tymna the Weaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, here reskinned in <em>Final Fantasy IV</em> regalia as Cecil Harvey. Tymna is a fantastic and potent cEDH commander due to its colors, its Partner ability, and the way it accrues card advantage.</p>
<div id="attachment_153063" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-TTA-Cecil-Harvey-Tymna-the-Weaver.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-153063" class="wp-image-153063" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-TTA-Cecil-Harvey-Tymna-the-Weaver.jpg" alt="Tymna the Weaver, here reskinned as Cecil Harvey from FFIV. Illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="401" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-TTA-Cecil-Harvey-Tymna-the-Weaver.jpg 672w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/05-16-25-TTA-Cecil-Harvey-Tymna-the-Weaver-215x300.jpg 215w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-153063" class="wp-caption-text">Tymna the Weaver, here reskinned as Cecil Harvey from <em>FFIV</em>. Illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<p>Speaking of cEDH and partners, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrasios, Triton Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Thrasios, Triton Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Tymna's most notorious partner in the competitive scene, is also in this bonus sheet, as Tidus, Zanarkand Fayth. <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> has pulled no punches with this bonus sheet, so far!</p>
<h2>What Will Next Week Bring?</h2>
<p>The previews were so cool this week that it's hard to believe that the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set's spoiler season has two more weeks to go! Still, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> probably has a bunch of cool things left in store for us.</p>
<p>While we wait for the next week of previews, let's open the floor to you, dear readers. Are you excited for more previews in the coming weeks? Is there anything that hasn't been represented in the set or bonus sheet yet that you'd like to see? Sound off below!</p>


Best Final Fantasy Spoilers From May 12th-15th

Celes, Rune Knight Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art By: <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMagali+Villeneuve%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Magali Villeneuve</a></em></p>
<p>I have never played any <em>Final Fantasy</em> game. Yes, you read that right, I have <em>never</em> played any <em>Final Fantasy</em> game, unless you count the <em>Kingdom Hearts</em> franchise. Nevertheless, the upcoming <em>Final Fantasy</em> <em>Magic</em> set has some incredibly unique and fabulous cards. One card that I vibed with upon first seeing it was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Welcome to the latest instalment of <em>Tech The Deck</em>, featuring a deck reminiscent of playing a video game on hard mode.</p>
<h2>New Game +</h2>
<p>For some reason, I like three-mana value (MV) cards way too much; my draft decks look like upside-down castles. So when I saw an Esper colored (white, blue, and black) commander that gets value off of casting a three MV spell, I was immediately interested. But when I started putting this deck together, something changed within me. Something deep inside, a primordial urge screamed out. It yelled at me, saying, "ONLY THREE TYPES!" I answered the call. This deck, outside of the lands and the commander, only runs three card types: sorceries, instants, and enchantments.</p>
<p>Why would I do this? Why would I not run <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> or <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>? What prevented me from putting a planeswalker or a battle on my list? The deck just started me in this direction. I moved from hard control, to playing around with cloning the commander as much as possible, to playing a deck based around enchantments and cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Donate" href="#" target="_blank">Donate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But in the end, I decided that three card types were the way to go. So, enough pontificating, let's get to the cards.</p>
<h2>End Credits</h2>
<p>We'll start at the end of the game's first run with our plans to beat the final boss. The first way we play to win the game is to live long enough to cast <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>. The life gain and card draw from our commander should help us both stave off death and dig to get the all-important second cast of Approach. This might not be the most exciting way to win the game, but when playing with this restriction, sometimes we use the busted items that the game gives us to balance the scales.</p>
<p>My preferred way to win is a bit more interesting.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nine Lives"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lich&#039;s Mastery"></div></div>
<p>Both of these enchantments serve double duty in the deck. First, they keep us alive, possibly the most significant challenge with a deck that does nothing until turn three. The second is that they have a built-in condition that can cause us to lose the game. This comes in very handy when you combine it with two other cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fractured Identity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Patrician&#039;s Scorn"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fractured Identity" href="#" target="_blank">Fractured Identity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to give a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nine Lives" href="#" target="_blank">Nine Lives</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the rest of the table. The Patrician's Scorn allows us to, at instant speed, blow them up, forcing the rest of the table to lose the game with our lose-the-game trigger on the stack. This is a combo I've been looking to cram into a deck, and I was glad that Y'shtola might be the commander to allow me to do it.</p>
<h2>Sorcerthrees</h2>
<p>Outside of our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fractured Identity" href="#" target="_blank">Fractured Identity</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>, three other sorceries highlight the deck quite nicely.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Risky Shortcut"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Battle of Bywater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toxic Deluge"></div></div>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Risky Shortcut" href="#" target="_blank">Risky Shortcut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite cards from <em>Aetherdrift,</em> and it allows us to trigger both of Y'shtola's abilities with one single card. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Battle of Bywater" href="#" target="_blank">The Battle of Bywater</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheap Wrath effect that might not clear everything off the board. It will eliminate the most threatening things from our opponents, while allowing our two-power commander to stick around. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best black mass removal spells ever made and fits perfectly with this deck - especially if we pay four or more life, we can draw a card from our commander's effect.</span></p>
<h2>Three Scoops of Instant Speed</h2>
<h3>Counter Magic</h3>
<p>This deck might feature some of the least played seen instants in the format. But believe me when I say they're some of my favorite cards ever. They're full of pips and full of potential.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Perplex"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Render Silent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undermine"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Perplex" href="#" target="_blank">Perplex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be the secret best card in the entire deck. While I'm not just playing cards that cost three MV, I am playing 31, so there's 30 other cards that I can tutor with the transmute ability.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Render Silent" href="#" target="_blank">Render Silent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't the most efficient counterspell out there, but it shuts down an entire player's turn, no matter what spell they decide to start with. This will often make at least one player at the table your enemy, so don't use this spell unless you're sure it's worth it.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undermine" href="#" target="_blank">Undermine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the darker side of another card in the deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Absorb" href="#" target="_blank">Absorb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Countering a spell and giving us another card that can fulfill both aspects of our commander's triggered abilities is music to my ears.</p>
<h3>You Are Not Hitting Me</h3>
<p>Sometimes permanents can't be countered. Most often, it's because they are already on the board. Our opponents may swing their permanents in our direction when they find their way onto the board. When this happens, we need to make them pay. Most players are well aware of the card <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>, and while it is in the deck, it's the least exciting of the anti-combat instants we have.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellish Rebuke"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inkshield"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Settle the Wreckage"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellish Rebuke" href="#" target="_blank">Hellish Rebuke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not only one of the most fun spells from <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em>, it can be a total blowout to the player that attacks you. We'll take some damage, but forcing the player who did that damage to lose all those creatures and two life for each creature will often be worth it.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkshield" href="#" target="_blank">Inkshield</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is possibly the best <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ever made, as it solves the biggest issue with that card: winning the game after you cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The best part about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkshield" href="#" target="_blank">Inkshield</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is when an opponent gets too confident and goes for overkill, allowing you to get even more inklings to win the game.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Settle the Wreckage" href="#" target="_blank">Settle the Wreckage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> looks like it's all downside because it ramps your opponent, but that's hardly ever the case. Players are greedy and will never run enough basics, and if it means you get to live another turn, the trade-off of giving them basics will always be worth it.</p>
<h2>They Don't Make 'Em Like This Anymore</h2>
<p>I don't have 31 enchantments in this deck, but the ones I do have are possibly more relevant than anything else. Outside of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nine Lives" href="#" target="_blank">Nine Lives</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being win conditions, we have some interesting "not lose" conditions at our disposal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breathstealer&#039;s Crypt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dream Tides"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mist of Stagnation"></div></div>
<p>A card I just learned existed is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breathstealer&#039;s Crypt" href="#" target="_blank">Breathstealer&#039;s Crypt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. One of the most lopsided effects we could ask for is a card at our fingertips. Sure, our opponents will know all the cards we draw, but the trade-off is that we'll learn all the cards they draw and never take damage or discard. It might not hit every time, but against some opponents, this card will be backbreaking.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Tides" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Tides</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an old favorite of mine from when I moonlighted as a Stax player. Both punishing to creature decks of all colors, but especially to those big green baddies that love to find themselves across the table.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mist of Stagnation" href="#" target="_blank">Mist of Stagnation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can hurt us just as much or possibly worse than anyone else at the table, but this deck operates with a slight vibe of "high risk, high reward."</p>
<h2>One, Two, Free Spells</h2>
<p>When your deck doesn't start playing the game until turn three, you need some cards that can break serve against the rest of the table. That's where free spells come in. Our deck runs the classic free counter magic suite of cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Force of Will"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Force of Negation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fierce Guardianship"></div></div>
<p>Black also gives us access to a triple threat of free removal spells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadly Rollick"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snuff Out"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Force of Despair"></div></div>
<p>Finally, some cards allow us to refund their mana cost when they resolve, making them essentially free.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rewind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frantic Search"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unwind"></div></div>
<p>People say cheaters never win, but those people have never cast a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frantic Search" href="#" target="_blank">Frantic Search</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with lands like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dimir Aqueduct" href="#" target="_blank">Dimir Aqueduct</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in play.</p>
<h2>Y'shtola, Night's Blessed Deck List</h2>
<p>Here's the final deck list:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Three of a Kind - Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Absorb
*1 Aetherize
*1 Baleful Mastery
*1 Bane&#039;s Contingency
*1 Commit // Memory
*1 Deadly Rollick
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Fact or Fiction
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Force of Despair
*1 Force of Negation
*1 Force of Will
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Hellish Rebuke
*1 Inkshield
*1 Memory Plunder
*1 Patrician&#039;s Scorn
*1 Perch Protection
*1 Perplex
*1 Quick Study
*1 Render Silent
*1 Rewind
*1 Settle the Wreckage
*1 Silundi Vision // Silundi Isle
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Snuff Out
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Revelation
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
*1 Undermine
*1 Unwind
*1 Void Rend
*1 Waterlogged Teachings // Inundated Archive
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Austere Command
*1 Blasphemous Edict
*1 Fractured Identity
*1 Idyllic Tutor
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Risky Shortcut
*1 Supreme Verdict
*1 The Battle of Bywater
*1 Toxic Deluge
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 As Foretold
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Breathstealer&#039;s Crypt
*1 Dream Tides
*1 Estrid&#039;s Invocation
*1 Ghostly Prison
*1 Grasp of Fate
*1 Imprisoned in the Moon
*1 Lich&#039;s Mastery
*1 Mist of Stagnation
*1 Nine Lives
*1 Painful Quandary
*1 Pendrell Mists
*1 Propaganda
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Soul Barrier
*1 Sphere of Safety
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Sanctum
*1 Bleachbone Verge
*1 City of Brass
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Gloomlake Verge
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*4 Island
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Mistrise Village
*1 Morphic Pool
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Orzhov Basilica
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*2 Plains
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Raffine&#039;s Tower
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Shadowy Backstreet
*1 Shattered Sanctum
*1 Shipwreck Marsh
*2 Swamp
*1 Undercity Sewers
*1 Vault of Champions
*1 Watery Grave
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Wrap Up on Y'shtola</h2>
<p>The more that I think about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the more I like it. While it's not as flashy as some of the cards released recently, there are a lot of ways you could build the deck. Many of them involve being much less thematic than I am, but all of them are interesting. Hopefully everyone is pumped about the collaboration with <em>Final Fantasy</em>, and if Y'shtola is your favorite character, I hope this card did them justice.</p>
<p>If you liked this deck or want to see more content related to <em>Final Fantasy</em>, keep a lookout here on EDHREC for all the great content from the fantastic team of writers, or bookmark our <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-commander-deck-techs"><em>Final Fantasy </em>deck tech collection</a>. As always, I'm Nick, and you can find me at all the internet places where I've laid claim to nicnax96 as a username. I hope to see your version of this very cool Cat Warlock at a table one day.</p>


Y'shtola, Night's Blessed Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardyn, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ardyn, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/ludongjun" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russel Lu</a></em></p>
<p>I might not have the best history with the <em>Final Fantasy</em> games, but I <em>do</em> have a long history with the Demon creature type, which is why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardyn, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ardyn, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> stood out to me as the previews for the newest set came in. My first-ever booster pack was a <em>Champions of Kamigawa</em> pack, which had some real beauties in it, including one of my prized Magic possessions: a foil <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kuro, Pitlord" href="#" target="_blank">Kuro, Pitlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While time and power creep haven’t been kind to poor Kuro, the creature type has remained iconic. Like they have been since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord of the Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Lord of the Pit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in <em>Alpha</em>, Demons are huge flying creatures based in black. Over the years, however, they’ve been released from the shackles of drawbacks to become truly terrifying!</p>
<h2>Notable Demons for Ardyn, the Usurper</h2>
<p>Ardyn is not a Demon, nor does he meet many of the requirements of a Demon, outside of a high mana value and a whole lot of black color pips. What Ardyn <em>does</em> do, however, is give Demons a host of keywords: menace, lifelink, and haste. He also reanimates creatures of any type from our graveyard as 5/5 black Demons (which, of course, get all the keywords he provides).</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ardyn, the Usurper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ob Nixilis, Unshackled"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valgavoth, Terror Eater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vilis, Broker of Blood"></div></div></p>
<p>We want our Demons to be big creatures that dominate the board and provide large chunks of flying damage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune-Scarred Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Rune-Scarred Demon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a big, beefy brawler that battles above the clouds, but the best aspect of this bruiser is that he brings along a buddy. With all the different jobs Demons can do, he’s a veritable swiss army knife!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demonlord Belzenlok"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rot-Curse Rakshasa"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rune-Scarred Demon"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harvester of Souls"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Great Unclean One"></div></div></p>
<p>One of my favorite Demons is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodgift Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodgift Demon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a medium-sized flying threat that gives a mini-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sign in Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Sign in Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to any player each upkeep. <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> is still potent, and one attached to a large flyer is fairly good. Even better, though, is the political aspect. If someone else needs cards to catch up we can give them some, and it can also deal the final point of damage in a pinch!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plague Drone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodgift Demon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodletter of Aclazotz"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sower of Discord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archfiend of Despair"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Desecration Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Desecration Demon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> used to dominate <em>Return to Ravnica</em> Standard, and it’s still a cheap political threat that gets better as the game goes on. While it appears to be an above-rate flyer, it gets better in the context of a Demon deck. By itself, it forces opponents to choose between letting him grow and sacrificing a creature to tap him down and grow him. Some decks will have spare bodies, but most will have to make a tough call; even those who can regularly pay the sac tax will eventually have to pay the piper once our other removal goes online.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burning-Rune Demon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lord of the Void"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Razaketh, the Foulblooded"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venomcrawler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desecration Demon"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abhorrent Overlord" href="#" target="_blank">Abhorrent Overlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is our equivalent to Gary (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). Maybe we should call her Abby. Would that catch on? Let me know in the comments below! Regardless, the Overlord gives us a host of Harpies equal to our devotion to black, which should be quite high. While not quite the game-ending big bang shot of Gary, Abby gives us enough power to close games out in one or two big, evasive swings.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demon of Wailing Agonies"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reiver Demon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abhorrent Overlord"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demon of Loathing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kothophed, Soul Hoarder"></div></div></p>
<p>One of the more instantly impactful Demons on a game of Commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doom Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Doom Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Believe it or not, the most dangerous aspect of this card isn’t a word or a number: it’s a punctuation mark. The colon between the phrase “Pay 2 life” and “Surveil 2” means that we can pay any amount of life in increments of two to stack our topdeck and load up the graveyard. We can even set up the reanimation of powerful creatures.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doom Whisperer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demon of Dark Schemes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nightmare Shepherd"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rakshasa Debaser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Infernal Sovereign"></div></div></p>
<h2>Cards for Demon Typal Strategies</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana&#039;s Contract" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana&#039;s Contract</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the more powerful pieces of typal technology any creature type has access to. Even in a deck without Demons, four Changelings can facilitate the alternate win condition. Since the deck is packed with them, fulfilling the condition is nice and easy.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liliana&#039;s Contract"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Speaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demonic Counsel"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whip of Erebos"></div></div></p>
<p>One of the aspects of Demons in popular culture is that they're closely tied to death, making them incredibly difficult to put down once and for all. Reanimation spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animate Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Animate Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> epitomize this, although perhaps the scariest and deadliest reanimation spell in <em>Magic</em> is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dread Return" href="#" target="_blank">Dread Return</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, castable from the graveyard without paying any mana, combining perfectly with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doom Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Doom Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s graveyard loading to bin the threat and the reanimation spell without paying a single mana.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dread Return"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demonic Covenant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Animate Dead"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haunting Voyage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bringer of the Last Gift"></div></div></p>
<h2>Demon Ramp</h2>
<p>One of the major downsides of Demons is their high casting cost. Rituals can help pay costs beyond the amount of mana we have, but we start to feel the aftereffects later when removal starts to catch up. Foretelling Demons with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps us to control how wide and how quickly our board develops, letting us play around removal and pressure just enough to provoke responses.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Ritual"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cabal Ritual"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dream Devourer"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Cellarspawn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abyssal Harvester"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bontu&#039;s Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Bontu&#039;s Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another cost reducer, this time coming with a repeated source of card advantage. Each creature we create comes with a mini-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sign in Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Sign in Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, just like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodgift Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodgift Demon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, helping us find more creatures and dig deeper and deeper for the pieces we need to close out the game.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Herald&#039;s Horn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza&#039;s Incubator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sol Ring"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bontu&#039;s Monument"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jet Medallion"></div></div></p>
<h2>Removal Spells for Ardyn</h2>
<p>Demons are warped and twisted minds, thriving on asserting their power over the living. This is shown in their propensity for forcing opponents to sacrifice creatures rather than using targeted destruction. After all, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doom Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Doom Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is more likely to answer the specific threat, making the opponent choose between their favorite creatures with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Depravity" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Depravity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is so much more delicious!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archfiend of Depravity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reaper from the Abyss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Indulgent Tormentor"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overseer of the Damned"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Withering Torment"></div></div></p>
<p>While spot removal might not be the Demon's way, sometimes it is necessary. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Grasp" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Grasp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are some of the rare bits of enchantment removal in mono-black, although some say that they're color pie breaks. Here, however, they're necessary bits of removal for permanents we can’t easily answer.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Infernal Grasp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feed the Swarm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kindred Dominance"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shadowgrange Archfiend"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pestilence Demon"></div></div></p>
<h2>Ardyn, the Usurper Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>Here's our list:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ardyn, the Usurper Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ardyn, the Usurper
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Abhorrent Overlord
*1 Abyssal Harvester
*1 Ancient Cellarspawn
*1 Archfiend of Depravity
*1 Archfiend of Despair
*1 Blood Speaker
*1 Bloodgift Demon
*1 Bloodletter of Aclazotz
*1 Bringer of the Last Gift
*1 Burning-Rune Demon
*1 Demon of Dark Schemes
*1 Demon of Loathing
*1 Demon of Wailing Agonies
*1 Demonlord Belzenlok
*1 Desecration Demon
*1 Doom Whisperer
*1 Dream Devourer
*1 Great Unclean One
*1 Harvester of Souls
*1 Indulgent Tormentor
*1 Infernal Sovereign
*1 Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
*1 Lord of the Void
*1 Nightmare Shepherd
*1 Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
*1 Overseer of the Damned
*1 Pestilence Demon
*1 Plague Drone
*1 Rakshasa Debaser
*1 Razaketh, the Foulblooded
*1 Reaper from the Abyss
*1 Reiver Demon
*1 Rot-Curse Rakshasa
*1 Rune-Scarred Demon
*1 Shadowgrange Archfiend
*1 Sower of Discord
*1 Valgavoth, Terror Eater
*1 Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire
*1 Venomcrawler
*1 Vilis, Broker of Blood
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Animate Dead
*1 Demonic Covenant
*1 Liliana&#039;s Contract
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Demonic Counsel
*1 Dread Return
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Haunting Voyage
*1 Kindred Dominance
*1 Living Death
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bontu&#039;s Monument
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Jet Medallion
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Urza&#039;s Incubator
*1 Whip of Erebos
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Cabal Ritual
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Infernal Grasp
*1 Withering Torment
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*40 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Final Thoughts on Ardyn, the Usurper Demon Typal</h2>
<p>Demons are large black flyers, and Ardyn helps make them ever more dangerous and threatening. They do a variety of jobs, from drawing cards to forcing opponents to sacrifice their own creatures. Sometimes they're a little slow at contributing to the board, but there are cost reducers to help with that, and they've been power crept in a definitive way!</p>


Building a Demon Typal Deck with Ardyn, the Usurper

Secret Lair X Final Fantasy: Three New Drops Revealed

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Image credits: Wizards of the Coast &amp; Square Enix</em></p>
<p>On Monday, May 12th, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> revealed all four of the <em>Final Fantasy</em> precon decklists for Commander. The four decks are fairly interesting, from the new cards to their reprints, all printed in an in-universe theme. But what cards are particularly powerful in these decks? What reprints make these decks worth getting? Read on, and we'll help with that.</p>
<h2><em>Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy</em>'s New Commander Cards</h2>
<p>To kick this off, there are a few things you'll need to know. First off, there are four distinct Commander precons in this release. These have an MSRP of $69.99. However, there is also a set of "Collector's Edition" precons, each of which has an MSRP of $149.99. These collector items are the same as the standard-issue precons, just with a fully foiled-out deck. They're also likely to be extremely sought-after and hard to find, and when they're bought out, resellers may sell them at inflated markups.</p>
<p>However, it's not our purview to discuss markups. You came here to read up on the precons themselves, and so that's what we will talk about from here on!</p>
<h2>The Decks</h2>
<p>The four <em>Final Fantasy</em> preconstructed decks each represent one of four games from the mainline 16-game series. Let's go over each!</p>
<h3>Revival Trance</h3>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/13106730/revival_trance_final_fantasy_commander"><em>Revival Trance</em></a> is a white-black-red deck that represents <em>FFVI</em>. It runs a reanimation strategy seeking to fill your graveyard while reaping value from it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terra, Herald of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Terra, Herald of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the face commander of <em>Revival Trance</em>, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Celes, Rune Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Celes, Rune Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is its featured commander (or backup commander, though <em>Wizards</em> now uses this new nomenclature).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Revival Trance - Final Fantasy Commander" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Terra, Herald of Hope
[/Commander]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Desolate Mire
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fetid Heath
*1 Foreboding Ruins
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Geothermal Bog
*1 Graven Cairns
*1 High Market
*1 Isolated Chapel
*3 Mountain
*1 Nomad Outpost
*1 Path of Ancestry
*4 Plains
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Sacred Peaks
*1 Shadowblood Ridge
*1 Shineshadow Snarl
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*1 Sunlit Marsh
*1 Sunscorched Divide
*3 Swamp
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
*1 Angel of the Ruins
*1 Anger
*1 Archfiend of Depravity
*1 Banon, the Returners&#039; Leader
*1 Celes, Rune Knight
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Cyan, Vengeful Samurai
*1 Edgar, Master Machinist
*1 Flayer of the Hatebound
*1 Gau, Feral Youth
*1 General Leo Cristophe
*1 Gogo, Mysterious Mime
*1 Interceptor, Shadow&#039;s Hound
*1 Kefka, Dancing Mad
*1 Locke, Treasure Hunter
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Millikin
*1 Mog, Moogle Warrior
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Palace Jailer
*1 Pitiless Plunderer
*1 Priest of Fell Rites
*1 Ruin Grinder
*1 Sabin, Master Monk
*1 Sepulchral Primordial
*1 Setzer, Wandering Gambler
*1 Shadow, Mysterious Assassin
*1 Siegfried, Famed Swordsman
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Stitcher&#039;s Supplier
*1 Strago and Relm
*1 Summon: Esper Valigarmanda
*1 Sun Titan
*1 The Warring Triad
*1 Umaro, Raging Yeti
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Bedevil
*1 Big Score
*1 Crackling Doom
*1 Espers to Magicite
*1 Laughing Mad
*1 Mortify
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Coin of Fate
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Key to the City
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Phoenix Down
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
*1 The Falcon, Airship Restored
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Legions to Ashes
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Reanimate
*1 Rejoin the Fight
*1 Rise of the Dark Realms
*1 Ruinous Ultimatum
*1 Snort
*1 Stitch Together
*1 Tragic Arrogance
[/Sorceries]"></span></div>
<h3>Limit Break</h3>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/13106990/limit_break_final_fantasy_commander"><em>Limit Break</em></a> is a white-red-green deck representing <em>FFVII</em>. It focuses on "go-tall" strategies to put Equipment on your creatures to get them to at least seven power. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, ex-SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, ex-SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is its face commander, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa, Martial Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa, Martial Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is its featured commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Limit Break - Final Fantasy Commander" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aerith, Last Ancient
*1 Armory Automaton
*1 Avalanche of Sector 7
*1 Barret Wallace
*1 Barret, Avalanche Leader
*1 Bastion Protector
*1 Bronze Guardian
*1 Bugenhagen, Wise Elder
*1 Cait Sith, Fortune Teller
*1 Cid, Freeflier Pilot
*1 Elena, Turk Recruit
*1 Heidegger, Shinra Executive
*1 Helitrooper
*1 Hellkite Tyrant
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Professor Hojo
*1 Puresteel Paladin
*1 Red XIII, Proud Warrior
*1 Sephiroth, Fallen Hero
*1 Summon: Kujata
*1 Tifa, Martial Artist
*1 Vincent, Vengeful Atoner
*1 Yuffie, Materia Hunter
*1 Zack Fair
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Bonders&#039; Enclave
*1 Brushland
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fire-Lit Thicket
*3 Forest
*1 Fortified Village
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Game Trail
*1 Jungle Shrine
*1 Mossfire Valley
*3 Mountain
*1 Path of Ancestry
*3 Plains
*1 Radiant Grove
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Sacred Peaks
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Slayers&#039; Stronghold
*1 Spire of Industry
*1 Sungrass Prairie
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*1 Sunscorched Divide
*1 Wooded Ridgeline
[/Lands]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Cultivate
*1 Decimate
*1 Harmonize
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Secret Rendezvous
*1 Ultimate Magic: Meteor
*1 Unfinished Business
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Vanquish the Horde
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Behemoth Sledge
*1 Champion&#039;s Helm
*1 Colossus Hammer
*1 Conformer Shuriken
*1 Conqueror&#039;s Flail
*1 Darksteel Plate
*1 Explorer&#039;s Scope
*1 Hero&#039;s Blade
*1 Hero&#039;s Heirloom
*1 Inspiring Statuary
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Summoning Materia
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Trailblazer&#039;s Boots
*1 Wrecking Ball Arm
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Cloud&#039;s Limit Break
*1 Dispatch
*1 Lifestream&#039;s Blessing
*1 Ultimate Magic: Holy
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Furious Rise
*1 SOLDIER Military Program
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>
<h3>Counter Blitz</h3>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/13107079/counter_blitz_final_fantasy_commander"><em>Counter Blitz</em></a> is a white-blue-green deck that features the characters and story of <em>FFX</em>. This deck wants to put counters on permanents, then move those counters around for value. The face commander of is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidus, Yuna&#039;s Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Tidus, Yuna&#039;s Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while its featured commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuna, Grand Summoner" href="#" target="_blank">Yuna, Grand Summoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Counter Blitz - Final Fantasy Commander" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tidus, Yuna&#039;s Guardian
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Altered Ego
*1 Auron, Venerated Guardian
*1 Bane of Progress
*1 Chasm Skulker
*1 Chocobo Knights
*1 Duskshell Crawler
*1 Fathom Mage
*1 Forgotten Ancient
*1 Gatta and Luzzu
*1 Generous Patron
*1 Grateful Apparition
*1 Gyre Sage
*1 Incubation Druid
*1 Kimahri, Valiant Guardian
*1 Lord Jyscal Guado
*1 Lulu, Stern Guardian
*1 Luminous Broodmoth
*1 Maester Seymour
*1 O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant
*1 Rampant Rejuvenator
*1 Rikku, Resourceful Guardian
*1 Scholar of New Horizons
*1 Shelinda, Yevon Acolyte
*1 Sin, Unending Cataclysm
*1 Summon: Ixion
*1 Summon: Magus Sisters
*1 Summon: Valefor
*1 Summon: Yojimbo
*1 Sunscorch Regent
*1 Tireless Tracker
*1 Tromell, Seymour&#039;s Butler
*1 Wakka, Devoted Guardian
*1 Walking Ballista
*1 Yuna, Grand Summoner
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Destroy Evil
*1 Endless Detour
*1 Inspiring Call
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Protection Magic
*1 Pull from Tomorrow
*1 Yuna&#039;s Whistle
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Blitzball Stadium
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Brushland
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Grove
*3 Forest
*1 Forge of Heroes
*1 Fortified Village
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*1 Idyllic Beachfront
*3 Island
*1 Nesting Grounds
*1 Overflowing Basin
*1 Path of Ancestry
*3 Plains
*1 Port Town
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Radiant Grove
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Skycloud Expanse
*1 Sungrass Prairie
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*1 Tangled Islet
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
*1 Temple of Mystery
*1 Temple of Plenty
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Vineglimmer Snarl
[/Lands]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bred for the Hunt
*1 Fight Rigging
*1 Hardened Scales
*1 Inexorable Tide
*1 Path of Discovery
*1 Resourceful Defense
*1 Sphere Grid
*1 Summoner&#039;s Sending
*1 Together Forever
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Collective Effort
*1 Damning Verdict
*1 Farewell
*1 Farseek
*1 Promise of Loyalty
*1 Three Visits
*1 Yuna&#039;s Decision
[/Sorceries]"></span></div>
<h3>Scions &amp; Spellcraft</h3>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/decks/13107116/scions_spellcraft_final_fantasy_commander"><em>Scions &amp; Spellcraft</em></a> is the final deck in the release. It's a white-blue-black deck that revolves around <em>FFXIV</em>. This deck has a small legendary theme, but overall wants to act as a control-archetype deck that capitalizes on noncreature spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is its face commander, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="G&#039;raha Tia, Scion Reborn" href="#" target="_blank">G&#039;raha Tia, Scion Reborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the featured commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Scions &amp; Spellcraft - Final Fantasy Commander" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Archaeomancer&#039;s Map
*1 Astrologian&#039;s Planisphere
*1 Blue Mage&#039;s Cane
*1 Coveted Jewel
*1 Dancer&#039;s Chakrams
*1 Reaper&#039;s Scythe
*1 Relic of Legends
*1 Sage&#039;s Nouliths
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 Talisman of Hierarchy
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Tome of Legends
*1 White Auracite
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Alisaie Leveilleur
*1 Alphinaud Leveilleur
*1 Archmage Emeritus
*1 Ardbert, Warrior of Darkness
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Emet-Selch of the Third Seat
*1 Estinien Varlineau
*1 Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian
*1 G&#039;raha Tia, Scion Reborn
*1 Hermes, Overseer of Elpis
*1 Hildibrand Manderville // Gentleman&#039;s Rise
*1 Hraesvelgr of the First Brood
*1 Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare
*1 Krile Baldesion
*1 Lyse Hext
*1 Murderous Rider // Swift End
*1 Papalymo Totolymo
*1 Summon: Good King Mog XII
*1 Tataru Taru
*1 Thancred Waters
*1 Torrential Gearhulk
*1 Urianger Augurelt
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Sanctum
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Choked Estuary
*1 Command Tower
*1 Contaminated Aquifer
*1 Darkwater Catacombs
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Desolate Mire
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fetid Heath
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Idyllic Beachfront
*3 Island
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Path of Ancestry
*4 Plains
*1 Port Town
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Shineshadow Snarl
*1 Skycloud Expanse
*1 Sunken Hollow
*1 Sunken Ruins
*1 Sunlit Marsh
*4 Swamp
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Underground River
[/Lands]
[Enchantments]
*1 Authority of the Consuls
*1 Bastion of Remembrance
*1 Champions from Beyond
*1 Eye of Nidhogg
*1 Observed Stasis
*1 Propaganda
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Circle of Power
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Crux of Fate
*1 Cut a Deal
*1 Exsanguinate
*1 Final Judgment
*1 Lingering Souls
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Syphon Mind
*1 Vindicate
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Into the Story
*1 Lethal Scheme
*1 Snuff Out
*1 Sublime Epiphany
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Transpose
*1 Void Rend
[/Instants]"></span></div>
<h2>The Best Cards In the Decks</h2>
<p>So, beyond what we've already mentioned, we're going to give players a bit of breathing room regarding newly printed cards from <em>Final Fantasy</em>. The new cards in this release will likely find their place in Commander. However, they're still super fresh, and players will very possibly want to figure out a means to give these cards a home in their decks.</p>
<p>On the flipside, very notably, there are a slew of high-end reprints in these decks, and that's what might be worth talking about at this time.</p>
<p>Some of the stronger reprints in these Commander decks include:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise of the Dark Realms" href="#" target="_blank">Rise of the Dark Realms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Revival Trance)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruinous Ultimatum" href="#" target="_blank">Ruinous Ultimatum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Revival Trance)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Limit Break)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Champion&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Limit Break)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conqueror&#039;s Flail" href="#" target="_blank">Conqueror&#039;s Flail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Limit Break)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clever Concealment" href="#" target="_blank">Clever Concealment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Limit Break)</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_152432" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/clever-concealment.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152432" class="wp-image-152432" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/clever-concealment.jpeg" alt="Clever Concealment, from the &quot;Limit Break&quot; Final Fantasy Commander deck. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix" width="400" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/clever-concealment.jpeg 744w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/clever-concealment-215x300.jpeg 215w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/clever-concealment-733x1024.jpeg 733w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-152432" class="wp-caption-text">Clever Concealment, from the <em>Limit Break</em> <em>Final Fantasy</em> Commander deck. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</p></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Patron" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Patron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Counter Blitz)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Ballista" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Ballista</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Counter Blitz)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sublime Epiphany" href="#" target="_blank">Sublime Epiphany</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Scions &amp; Spellcraft)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snuff Out" href="#" target="_blank">Snuff Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Scions &amp; Spellcraft)</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Final Judgment" href="#" target="_blank">Final Judgment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (Scions &amp; Spellcraft)</li>
</ul>
<p>Overall, reprint playability appears to be pretty widespread among the different precons, but in terms of value, Limit Break has this in spades.</p>
<p>All in all, the decks each have something of value to them. Whether you're a reanimator fan, a Voltron aficionado, or a control player, these decks are pretty awesome and have something for pretty much anyone. <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/final-fantasy-commander-decklists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You can find those decklists here.</a></p>
<p>But let's hear what you think. Do you like these precons? Do you think the decks are interesting? And perhaps more importantly, do they capture the spirit of their respective games, and <em>Final Fantasy</em> on the whole? Sound off below! And stay tuned for our full Precon Guides for these decks, coming soon.</p>


Final Fantasy Commander Decklists Revealed

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kefka, Court Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Kefka, Court Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.yoshitakaamano.com/">Yoshitaka Amano</a></em></p>
<p>When someone asks an expert in the <em>Final Fantasy</em> series about its most detestable villain, Kefka Palazzo will often come to mind. After all, Kefka has committed a vast multitude of crimes that, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YJgM16uaq0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to paraphrase another RPG clown</a>, would make the Geneva Convention look more like "Geneva Suggestions." The role of Court Mage of the Gestahlian Empire and, later, as the God of Magic are, understandably, extremely oppressive titles to hold. Kefka achieves his goals with aplomb and fanfare, often to the chagrin of the protagonists of <em>Final Fantasy VI</em>.</p>
<p>Therefore, it may come as no surprise that this deck tech is almost certain to bring pain and despair to many a table. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kefka, Court Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Kefka, Court Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (and its rear face, Kefka, Ruler of Ruin) is extremely powerful as a commander. This commander wants to do multiple different things, but in a way that allows us to seamlessly pivot from one task to another as needed. By no means is this deck ever <em>not</em> going to be a "group slug" build; the deck wants to oppress the table at every turn. But, at the same time, you ought to have a little fun doing it, right? It's exactly what Lord Kefka would want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kefka, Court Mage"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Kefka, Court Mage Do?</h2>
<p>Kefka, Court Mage is a legendary Human Wizard. His stats are relatively innocuous for his cost. He's a 4/5 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><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, which isn't much to shout about. However, it's his abilities that allow Kefka to shine. On entry and whenever Kefka, Court Mage attacks, each player discards a card, then you get to draw a card for each card type among the discarded cards. For emphasis, this doesn't include subtypes or supertypes, but you'll often draw at least two cards with each resolution of this ability. Such is the way of forced discard!</p>
<p>To transform Kefka into his Ruler of Ruin iteration, you must pay a hefty eight generic mana. However, in addition to transforming Kefka, the ability also forces each opponent to sacrifice a permanent. This could be something as innocuous as a token or as impactful as a land, but that's at the whims of your opponents. Even so, ruination comes forth!</p>
<p>Kefka's rear face, the Ruler of Ruin, is a 5/7 with flying. He's now on rate, even considerably better, for his five-mana cost, but those stats don't make him worth eight. However, his triggered ability, which reads "Whenever an opponent loses life during your turn, you draw that many cards," fully makes up for this.</p>
<h3>A Contrapositive Nekusar?</h3>
<p>At the point where you read the front face of Kefka, you may be thinking to yourself, "This clown seems a <em>lot</em> like <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/nekusar-the-mindrazer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekusar, the Mindrazer</a>!" And to that, I fully agree with you. After all, Kefka also draws you cards, and is built to cater to group slug strategies. But there's something slightly off about this line of thought. To that end, I say Kefka, Court Mage is a contrapositive to Nekusar. By that, I mean they affirmatively complement each other, but are still very different. You <em>could</em> always group them into the same deck, but to achieve similar results, it's actually not necessary.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nekusar, the Mindrazer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arjun, the Shifting Flame"></div></div>
<p>When you pivot over to Kefka, Ruler of Ruin, the commander that ensues does a good job at imitating <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/arjun-the-shifting-flame" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arjun, the Shifting Flame</a>. To an even slightly careless Arjun pilot, one slip-up might spell the difference between drawing your deck and winning, or drawing your deck and losing. The same is true of Kefka, Ruler of Ruin, except we have more fail-safe options to mitigate that possibility. Namely, we have the addition of sacrifice outlets to help us in case Kefka goes a little too mad with draw power. This deck tech doesn't utilize many black sacrifice outlets, but know that you <em>can</em>, and it might make a difference for you.</p>
<h3>Plans Befitting Ruination</h3>
<p>This deck tech will showcase a "group slug" strategy, as mentioned previously. This means affecting opponents in a relatively equal, very net-negative manner. This will be achieved through group discard and punishing card draw for opponents. Additionally, we'll utilize a plethora of triggered abilities that proc off of either draw or self-discard. Finally, when we transform Kefka into his Ruler of Ruin face, we'll aim to win by maximizing the extent of our triggers off card draw.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Kefka, Court Mage</h2>
<p>A few cards make this deck tick exceptionally well. These cards can be divided into three groups:</p>
<h3>#1. Fail-Safes</h3>
<p>Before we get into the fun parts of running this deck, we need to discuss the fail-safes to keep you from losing by your own (literal) hand. Very often, you may find yourself in a situation where you're about to draw too many cards all at once. This is typically a bad situation, but it can be salvaged! For one, we run instant-speed enablers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Anticipation" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Anticipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Fae Trickster" href="#" target="_blank">High Fae Trickster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to ensure we can fix things quickly if they were to go awry.</p>
<p>The solutions themselves include sacrifice outlets, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dimir House Guard" href="#" target="_blank">Dimir House Guard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, in case we need to remove Kefka from the field. They also include cards that halt draw in some fashion, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obstinate Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Obstinate Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Words of Waste" href="#" target="_blank">Words of Waste</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ormos, Archive Keeper" href="#" target="_blank">Ormos, Archive Keeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a really good job of accruing +1/+1 counters instead of drawing in the worst case scenario - an empty library.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obstinate Familiar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dimir House Guard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ormos, Archive Keeper"></div></div>
<h3>#2. Card Draw Payoffs</h3>
<p>There are plenty of cards in this deck that pay off from drawing cards. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Locust God" href="#" target="_blank">The Locust God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes a ton of Insect tokens with haste with even one Kefka, Court Mage trigger. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphinx&#039;s Tutelage" href="#" target="_blank">Sphinx&#039;s Tutelage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could mill a player out quite handily in here if you've transformed Kefka. And, quite notably, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychosis Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Psychosis Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Starving Revenant" href="#" target="_blank">Starving Revenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> imitate the old <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-plus-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Curiosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combo with Ruler of Ruin on the battlefield.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starving Revenant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sphinx&#039;s Tutelage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Locust God"></div></div>
<h3>#3. Discard Payoffs</h3>
<p>This deck runs various ways to profit off of discard. This applies to opponents' discard, sure, but also self discard. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Waste Not" href="#" target="_blank">Waste Not</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bone Miser" href="#" target="_blank">Bone Miser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work to create versatile and worthwhile situations. Through these scenarios, your opponents will ultimately suffer more than you. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Ifnir" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Ifnir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a straight-up one-sided board wipe if you can freely discard enough cards. And don't even get me started on the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Megrim" href="#" target="_blank">Megrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style effects in this deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Miser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tergrid, God of Fright"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Waste Not"></div></div>
<p>But special attention should be paid to the key reason this deck is Bracket 3 in letter as well as intent. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tergrid, God of Fright" href="#" target="_blank">Tergrid, God of Fright</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a seriously intimidating card. It will do you absolutely no favors with how oppressive the card is. If you wish to tone the deck down at all, this should feasibly be the first card to consider cutting.</p>
<h2>How Does Kefka, Court Mage Win?</h2>
<p>Kefka, Court Mage wins a typical Commander game in a variety of different ways. One more apparent way is through <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laboratory Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">Laboratory Maniac</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Lab Man is a tried and true method of winning, and it isn't a bad one here. It also doesn't hurt that it can eat spot removal when you can use another method of winning.</p>
<p>Another method to win the game includes using Kefka, Ruler of Ruin to combo with Psychosis Crawler or Starving Revenant. This is a less effective means to win as it requires far more math, especially via Psychosis Crawler. The trajectory goes like this: with Kefka, Ruler of Ruin and Psychosis Crawler in play, when you draw a single card, each opponent loses one life. In a three-opponent game, that means you draw three cards. Psychosis Crawler causes your opponents to each lose three life, for nine life lost in total. You draw nine cards. They each lose nine life. You draw 27. If the next instance of 27 life lost can't defeat them all, you'd best have Ormos or a Lab Man handy. Starving Revenant does similarly, but on a 1-to-1 level of lifeless to draw as opposed to exponential degrees.</p>
<p>But overall, there are plenty of other means with which to win the game. This includes punisher effects and the potential for a go-wide strategy as well. The possibilities are endless!</p>
<h2>Kefka, Court Mage Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Kefka, Court Mage" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kefka, Court Mage // Kefka, Ruler of Ruin
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Bedevil
*1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
*1 Forbid
*1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
*1 Pongify
*1 Rakdos Charm
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Slip Out the Back
*1 Withering Torment
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Archfiend of Ifnir
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Bone Miser
*1 Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
*1 Chainer, Nightmare Adept
*1 Davros, Dalek Creator
*1 Dimir House Guard
*1 Fate Unraveler
*1 Glint-Horn Buccaneer
*1 High Fae Trickster
*1 Kederekt Parasite
*1 Laboratory Maniac
*1 Magus of the Jar
*1 Molten Gatekeeper
*1 Nightscape Familiar
*1 Obstinate Familiar
*1 Ormos, Archive Keeper
*1 Psychosis Crawler
*1 Razorkin Needlehead
*1 Sangromancer
*1 Scrawling Crawler
*1 Screaming Nemesis
*1 Starving Revenant
*1 Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid&#039;s Lantern
*1 The Locust God
*1 Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls
*1 Warren Soultrader
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Leyline of Anticipation
*1 Liliana&#039;s Caress
*1 Megrim
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Tutelage
*1 Teferi&#039;s Ageless Insight
*1 Teferi&#039;s Tutelage
*1 Waste Not
*1 Words of Waste
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Dark Deal
*1 Demonic Counsel
*1 Disrupt Decorum
*1 Ringsight
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Whispering Madness
*1 Windfall
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway
*1 Command Tower
*1 Crosis&#039;s Catacombs
*1 Crumbling Necropolis
*1 Drossforge Bridge
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Haunted Ridge
*1 Homeward Path
*2 Island
*1 Mistvault Bridge
*1 Mountain
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Raucous Theater
*1 Riverglide Pathway // Lavaglide Pathway
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Shipwreck Marsh
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Silverbluff Bridge
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*2 Swamp
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Undercity Sewers
*1 Underground River
*1 Valgavoth&#039;s Lair
*1 Vault of Whispers
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Xander&#039;s Lounge
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>The End Comes, Beyond Chaos</h2>
<p>This deck is, in a couple of words, certifiably evil. This is befitting of the good (read: despicable) name of Kefka Palazzo. It provides all manner of strong synergies with draw and discard effects. It's also readily able to pivot strategies to full-send draw payoffs as needed. Much like Kefka himself, this deck is sure to drive your opponents entirely up the wall, each scrambling in many ways to handle their inevitable collective demise. Just don't go dancing mad with too much power, or you'll fall to ruination yourself.</p>
<p>Finally, I hope you liked this deck tech and its diabolical fool of a commander. If you did, consider playing <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VI" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Final Fantasy VI</em></a> for yourself. It's an expansive title and does amazing things for the series at large.</p>


Group-Slugging With Kefka, Court Mage

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shantotto, Tactician Magician" href="#" target="_blank">Shantotto, Tactician Magician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/jsraphael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joshua Raphael</a></em></p>
<p>Well, this is about the most up to date I've ever been in terms of new releases. As of the day I'm writing this, May 7th, the commander I'm doing a deck tech for hasn't even made it's way into the EDHREC database. But <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shantotto, Tactician Magician" href="#" target="_blank">Shantotto, Tactician Magician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just too interesting to not write about immediately. She's just been spoiled for the new Final Fantasy Set, and while I don't know a single thing about Final Fantasy, I do know a good deckbuilding challenge when I see one. So lets dive right into this weird spellslinger commander.</p>
<h2>Shantotto, Tactician Magician</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shantotto, Tactician Magician"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the amount of mana spent to cast that spell. If X is 4 or greater, draw a card.</em></p>
<p>Ok, so I've done more than a few spellslinger commanders on this series. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balmor, Battlemage Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Balmor, Battlemage Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adeliz, the Cinder Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Adeliz, the Cinder Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Third Path Iconoclast" href="#" target="_blank">Third Path Iconoclast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they're all blue-red commanders that care about casting noncreature spells. It's a pretty basic formula. All you need for those decks is a bunch of cheap instants and sorceries that can draw cards or buff your team or whatever is helpful. Then you get a bunch of creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Flamebreather" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Flamebreather</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that'll ping your opponents whenever you cast one of those spells. It's a pretty tried and true formula, but I've built it a few too many times at this point. I've gotten quite bored of the whole game plan, and I need a challenge.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balmor, Battlemage Captain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Third Path Iconoclast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kessig Flamebreather"></div></div>
<h2>How Is Shantotto Different From Other Izzet Spellslinger Decks?</h2>
<p>So that's why I was elated when my editor recommended that I check out Shantotto. Yes, at the surface level, it's just another Izzet spellslinger commander. But there's a bit more to it than that. Rather than request the usual one-drop suspects of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and all those other crummy cantrips, Shantotto wants us to play spells with mana value four or greater. That's certainly a big difference from what other commanders want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Opt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Preordain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visions"></div></div>
<p>Shanotto doesn't technically require us to play big spells, but we draw a card whenever we do, and I'm certainly not one to turn down card advantage. Other than that, the only thing she does is get bigger when we play spells. But, man does she get a lot bigger. So let's build a deck around big noncreature spells and one big creature. I think that's pretty doable, and even if it's not, I'm sure it'll be interesting.</p>
<p>As with any big mana deck, the question is: how much? How big can our average mana value get before it becomes unmanageable? Well, there's a pretty clear minimum we have to follow. If we want to take advantage of our commander's ability throughout the game, we need to be drawing a four-drop every three cards or so. Because otherwise, our commander's ability is just gonna be a random bonus that occurs every once in a while. It would be like playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and only cloning a Dragon every other turn. We've got a cool commander, let's use it.</p>
<h2>Big Pauper Spells for Shantotto</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, there's a slight problem. I'm not sure if there are enough great four-drops to play in Pauper. Yeah, you've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pirate&#039;s Pillage" href="#" target="_blank">Pirate&#039;s Pillage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Big Score" href="#" target="_blank">Big Score</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are all fantastic, but I don't think there are 30+ four drops that are worth playing. I certainly don't want to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Airborne Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Airborne Aid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just to draw a card. There are a decent number of good cards though, so let's check those out first before giving up.</p>
<p>We've got plenty of card draw, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Behold the Multiverse" href="#" target="_blank">Behold the Multiverse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Analysis" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Analysis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is worthwhile here. Then there's some red aggression in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin War Party" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin War Party</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hazardous Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Hazardous Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Empty the Warrens" href="#" target="_blank">Empty the Warrens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Are Goblins particularly useful to us? Nah, but every deck needs chump blockers, and we'd rather create them with noncreature spells.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unexpected Windfall"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Behold the Multiverse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Party"></div></div>
<p>After that, we have to reach into five-mana spells. Luckily, there are a few that are great inclusions even if our commander didn't ask for it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lórien Revealed" href="#" target="_blank">Lórien Revealed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a handy card to have, early and late game. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Fissure" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Fissure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can decimate a board state. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Geyser" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Geyser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just makes a ridiculous amount of mana. Then, even more expensive than those is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Eight Mana? How could that possibly be worth it? Oh, hold up, it's got delve. Basically, it's castable for just a single mana. And it'll still trigger our commander! Right?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lórien Revealed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Geyser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div></div>
<h2>This Commander Got Nerfed</h2>
<p>Well, actually, there's something unusual about our commander that I've concealed. I said that Shantotto checks the mana value of your cards when deciding what X is, but actually, she checks how much mana is spent. That means that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't give Shantotto +8/+0, it gives Shantotto +1/+0 if you delve away all the generic mana. That's super disappointing, especially considering that Shantotto is one of the first commanders to be worded like this. I'm sure it was a balancing decision, but honestly the result of it is that Shantotto is extremely underpowered.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div></div>
<p>This is the reason that I haven't been including cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meeting of Minds" href="#" target="_blank">Meeting of Minds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Normally, for a commander that checks mana value, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meeting of Minds" href="#" target="_blank">Meeting of Minds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be great because it can be cast for less than its advertised cost, but still trigger an ability. But here, if we don't pay any mana, we don't get any value. This is also the reason that I'm not including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Electromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Electromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, despite it being one of the best spellslinger staples of all time. If it reduces a four-cost card to three mana, we just don't get the card draw from Shantotto.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meeting of Minds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Electromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mocking Sprite"></div></div>
<p>The most I can do to patch this deck up is add a ton of ramp and some stuff to make Shantotto unblockable, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artful Dodge" href="#" target="_blank">Artful Dodge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Maybe we'll also add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Battle Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Battle Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into the mix, because double strike on our commander sounds pretty intimidating. But I think that's about all I can do. Unfortunately, all we have right now is a deck with an absurdly high average mana value, and a pretty lousy payoff for it. I know I made a comparison to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> earlier in this article, but anyone with eyes can see that drawing a card for casting a four-mana spell is not the same as making a copy of a Dragon for two mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firemind Vessel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artful Dodge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Battle Rage"></div></div>
<h2>Shantotto Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Shantotto, the Radical Lady" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Shantotto, Tactician Magician
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Behold the Multiverse
*1 Big Score
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Choking Tethers
*1 Counterspell
*1 Fling
*1 Foil
*1 Frantic Firebolt
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Into the Roil
*1 Izzet Charm
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Mizzium Skin
*1 Negate
*1 Psychotic Fury
*1 Raking Claws
*1 Resculpt
*1 Rewind
*1 Shadow Rift
*1 Siege Smash
*1 Teach by Example
*1 Temur Battle Rage
*1 Trip Up
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Unfathomable Truths
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Brass Knuckles
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Firemind Vessel
*1 Hulldrifter
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Neurok Stealthsuit
*1 Sisay&#039;s Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Artful Dodge
*1 Assault Strobe
*1 Daring Discovery
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Distortion Strike
*1 Empty the Warrens
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Goblin War Party
*1 Hazardous Blast
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany
*1 Temporal Fissure
*1 Treason of Isengard
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Apprentice Wizard
*1 Goblin Electromancer
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Kiln Fiend
*1 Mocking Sprite
*1 Murmuring Mystic
*1 Nivix Cyclops
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*19 Island
*18 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>I'm not gonna lie, this deck is hilariously bad. A lack of good four-drops wasn't even my biggest problem, because trying to take advantage of the four mana clause was just a terrible idea when the payoff is so bad. I think this deck would be better off if you just played a bunch of one-drops, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balmor, Battlemage Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Balmor, Battlemage Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But then you should just play Balmor.</p>
<p>The one thing that could've saved this deck would've been <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Electromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Electromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the wording of Shantotto makes that card actively detrimental. I understand why the card is phrased like that, and it'll probably make some future legend much less abusable. But here, it just makes the commander mediocre.</p>


mtgfin