Vivi Ornitier Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gau, Feral Youth" href="#" target="_blank">Gau, Feral Youth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CEgl%C4%97+Mosakait%C4%97%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eglė Mosakaitė</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome to our deck tech featuring one of <em>Final Fantasy VI</em>'s most unique characters. Gau grew up in the Veldt, an area teeming with dangerous monsters, where he was left there by his father. Despite this unceremonious parting, Gau grew up and learned to fend for himself. Despite being largely detached from society and the nearby town of Mobliz, Gau becomes an unlikely ally of The Returners. In the upcoming <em>Magic</em> <em>Final Fantasy</em> set, Gau has his own card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gau, Feral Youth" href="#" target="_blank">Gau, Feral Youth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and in this article we're exploring a way to build Gau into a recursion machine.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gau, Feral Youth"></div></div></p>
<h2><strong>What Does Gau, Feral Youth Do?</strong></h2>
<p>Gau is a 2/2 Human Berserker that costs <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" 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> to cast. He has two abilities that work in tandem to produce a unique effect in red. The first is a triggered ability that reads, "Whenever Gau attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on it." This ability is not unique, with dozens of other cards having the same or similar abilities. The second ability, however, is unique for a red card, reading "At the beginning of each end step, if a card left your graveyard this turn, Gau deals damage equal to its power to each opponent." Effects that care about cards leaving the graveyard exist in <em>Magic</em>, but mainly in black.</p>
<p>The strategy of this deck centers around triggering Gau's second ability as much as possible using artifact recursion, taking advantage of the fact that Gau can trigger every end step, not just <em>your</em> end step, for maximum damage.</p>
<p>The deck has three distinct components to facilitate this objective. The first is recurring artifacts, either to your hand or to the battlefield, satisfying the condition for Gau to trigger at the end step. The second is to allow Gau to attack while staying protected, to get the boost from its first ability and to perhaps deal some extra damage. The third is to boost Gau's power so when he does trigger, it will pack a bigger punch. In the way we're using Gau for this deck, there are several red commanders that have decks built in similar fashions. Examples include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Rocketeer Engineer" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Rocketeer Engineer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slobad, Iron Goblin" href="#" target="_blank">Slobad, Iron Goblin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Gau's Shiny Treasures</h2>
<p>The core pieces of this deck involve causing cards to leave your graveyard as often as possible. This deck mainly uses artifact recursion pieces to accomplish this, and red and colorless have many options for this purpose. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Welder" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Welder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap Trawler" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap Trawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are pivotal to this objective, and can be triggered or activated at instant speed so Gau will trigger during an opponent's turn. The deck also uses many utility artifacts like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichor Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Ichor Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prized Statue" href="#" target="_blank">Prized Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get extra advantage from the constant cycle of artifacts leaving and entering the battlefield. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slobad, Iron Goblin" href="#" target="_blank">Slobad, Iron Goblin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krark-Clan Ironworks" href="#" target="_blank">Krark-Clan Ironworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> serve as sacrifice outlets, allowing cards like Scrap Trawler to then trigger with ease.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Welder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slobad, Iron Goblin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ichor Wellspring"></div></div></p>
<p>While the main purpose of the deck centers around recurring artifacts, several other effects are also included that can help Gau trigger. The deck contains several cards with flashback, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faithless Looting" href="#" target="_blank">Faithless Looting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Isengard Unleashed" href="#" target="_blank">Isengard Unleashed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as casting them for their flashback costs will cause them to leave the graveyard. Some other notable ways to trigger Gau include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elixir of Immortality" href="#" target="_blank">Elixir of Immortality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, among many others.</p>
<p>This deck also includes cards with the sole purpose of helping Gau deal more damage when it does trigger. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nettlecyst" href="#" target="_blank">Nettlecyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work extremely well in this deck, boosting Gau's power by a large amount due to the number of artifacts the deck contains. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Excalibur, Sword of Eden" href="#" target="_blank">Excalibur, Sword of Eden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another very useful buff piece that should be fairly cheap to cast. While these cards boost Gau's power directly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="City on Fire" href="#" target="_blank">City on Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and other cards simply amplify the damage dealt by Gau, causing a similar effect overall.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nettlecyst"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Excalibur, Sword of Eden"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrap Mastery"></div></div></p>
<p>Several cards are also included to protect Gau when it attacks, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brotherhood Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">Brotherhood Regalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whispersilk Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Whispersilk Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, with Gau only costing <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" 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>, he won't be outlandishly expensive to recast even if he's wiped off the board a couple times. Many of the buff effects (like the Equipment mentioned earlier) are also not very expensive to reattach to Gau, so him being wiped off the board is nowhere near game-ending. While keeping Gau around is best to stack counters from attacking, the deck can still function fine with just using external buffs.</p>
<h2>How Will Gau End the Game?</h2>
<p>The main way Gau plans to end the game is by damage dealt with its second ability. Over the course of the game, Gau should be able to be buffed and fling a considerable amount of damage at opponents. Even if he isn't heavily buffed, dealing damage during each end step can quickly add up to a devastating amount if left unchecked. The deck does contain a few pieces of redundancy that can also fling damage, and possibly end the game on their own. This includes cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fuming Effigy" href="#" target="_blank">Fuming Effigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Fireweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Fireweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can supplement Gau's damage or continue to deal damage if Gau happens to leave the battlefield.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fuming Effigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckless Fireweaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ingenious Artillerist"></div></div></p>
<p>This deck does contain some other possible win conditions. One such condition is combat damage, as we're constantly attacking (hopefully) with Gau and maybe other creatures, which can be amplified by the damage increasers and possibly end a game. This method, of course, isn't the primary focus or an overly reliable plan, but it could work in a pinch.</p>
<p>The deck also contains several combos that, when paired with some payoffs, can end the game on the spot. According to <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/find-my-combos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander Spellbook's Find My Combos</a> feature, this deck contains eight infinite combos. These combos can largely trigger Reckless Fireweaver or similar cards repeatedly, leading to infinite damage and thus ending the game. Let's work through one of the simplest combos in the deck:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirrorworks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Myr Retriever"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krark-Clan Ironworks"></div></div></p>
<p>To perform this combo, cast Myr Retriever 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>. When it enters, Mirrorworks and Reckless Fireweaver trigger, dealing one damage to each opponent and triggering you to pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to copy Myr Retriever. You can then sacrifice the nontoken Myr Retriever to Krark-Clan Ironwroks for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-c" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-c" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. Myr Retriever will trigger, allowing you to return another artifact card from your graveyard to your hand. Then, repeat the same process with the token Myr Retriever, instead returning the nontoken Myr Retriever to your hand. From here, repeat the combo infinitely until the game ends from Reckless Fireweaver's damage. Below are a few other possible combos in this deck, thanks to help from <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander Spellbook</a>.</p>
<div id="1020-1117-2866-4659-5034" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
<script id="1020-1117-2866-4659-5034" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/embed.js?v=1&uses=%5B%22Scrap%20Trawler%22%2C%22Myr%20Retriever%22%2C%22Krark-Clan%20Ironworks%22%2C%22Sol%20Ring%22%2C%22Junk%20Diver%22%5D&requires=%5B%5D&produces=%5B%22Infinite%20blinking%20of%20artifacts%20you%20control%20with%20a%20mana%20value%20of%200%22%2C%22Infinite%20colorless%20mana%22%2C%22Infinite%20death%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20ETB%22%2C%22Infinite%20LTB%22%2C%22Infinite%20sacrifice%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20storm%20count%22%5D&id=1020-1117-2866-4659-5034&color=C&extraRequirementCount=0"></script></div>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe></p>
<div id="1020-2866-4659-5346" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
<script id="1020-2866-4659-5346" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/embed.js?v=1&uses=%5B%22Crime%20Novelist%22%2C%22Krark-Clan%20Ironworks%22%2C%22Myr%20Retriever%22%2C%22Scrap%20Trawler%22%5D&requires=%5B%5D&produces=%5B%22Infinite%20LTB%22%2C%22Infinite%20ETB%22%2C%22Infinite%20sacrifice%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20death%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20storm%20count%22%2C%22Infinite%20%2B1%2F%2B1%20counters%20on%20Crime%20Novelist%22%2C%22Infinite%20colorless%20mana%22%2C%22Infinite%20red%20mana%22%5D&id=1020-2866-4659-5346&color=R&extraRequirementCount=1"></script></div>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe></p>
<div id="1721-3210-4659" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
<script id="1721-3210-4659" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/embed.js?v=1&uses=%5B%22Scrap%20Mastery%22%2C%22Codex%20Shredder%22%2C%22Krark-Clan%20Ironworks%22%5D&requires=%5B%5D&produces=%5B%22Infinite%20colorless%20mana%22%2C%22Infinite%20magecraft%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20mana%20artifacts%20you%20control%20can%20produce%22%2C%22Infinite%20storm%20count%22%5D&id=1721-3210-4659&color=R&extraRequirementCount=2"></script></div>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe></p>
<p>With that out of the way, let's get to the fun part: the deck.</p>
<h2>Gau, Feral Youth's Artifact Déjà Vu - Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Gau&#039;s Artifact Déjà Vu" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Gau, Feral Youth
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Adaptive Omnitool
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Blackblade Reforged
*1 Brotherhood Regalia
*1 Codex Shredder
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Dowsing Device // Geode Grotto
*1 Elixir of Immortality
*1 Excalibur, Sword of Eden
*1 Genesis Chamber
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Krark-Clan Ironworks
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirrorworks
*1 Mycosynth Wellspring
*1 Mystic Forge
*1 Nettlecyst
*1 Perpetual Timepiece
*1 Prized Statue
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Throne of Eldraine
*1 Unlicensed Hearse
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Big Score
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Deflecting Swat
*1 Demand Answers
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Isengard Unleashed
*1 Reckless Handling
*1 Scrap Mastery
*1 Trash for Treasure
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 City on Fire
*1 Fiery Emancipation
*1 Pia&#039;s Revolution
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Crime Novelist
*1 Daretti, Rocketeer Engineer
*1 Feldon of the Third Path
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Fuming Effigy
*1 Goblin Engineer
*1 Goblin Welder
*1 Gogo, Mysterious Mime
*1 Ingenious Artillerist
*1 Jhoira&#039;s Familiar
*1 Junk Diver
*1 Metalwork Colossus
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Myr Retriever
*1 Reckless Fireweaver
*1 Ruin Grinder
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Scrap Welder
*1 Slobad, Iron Goblin
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Tersa Lightshatter
*1 Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith
*1 Workshop Assistant
*1 Yidaro, Wandering Monster
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Command Tower
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Great Furnace
*27 Mountain
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
*1 War Room
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This deck is a fun way to explore a unique card while having a legitimate chance of winning a few games. It fits well into Bracket 3 - being reasonably strong while not being excruciating to play against. It's probably not going to fare well against ultra-polished Bracket 4/5 decks, but it fits well for the average casual player who wants to play something unique and different. It is worth noting that Gau is not the optimal recursion commander - cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tormod, the Desecrator" href="#" target="_blank">Tormod, the Desecrator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have far more options and are generally more useful.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, Commander is about having fun, especially in a casual environment. Gau allows you to have fun while pioneering a reasonably strong deck. However, if you're looking for an extremely strong or polished commander, especially for cEDH, I would recommend checking out Tormod or other options instead. Perhaps, if Gau was in Rakdos, you could make it a lot stronger and accomplish this, but it doesn't seem to be possible with it in mono-red.</p>


Artifact Déjà Vu With Gau, Feral Youth

Counter Blitz Precon Guide - Final Fantasy

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><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> | Art by: <a href="https://kevinglint-studios.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Glint</a></em></p>
<p>Friendly greetings and welcome to Spira, the world of <em>Final Fantasy X</em>. I'm <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/john-sherwood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Sherwood</a>, and I'm taking a break from my regular <em>Bracketeering</em> series to feature a new commander. This deck tech is brought to you in part by mixed feelings about a video game I never beat. It wasn't for lack of trying. I spent an unhealthy number of hours grinding every corner of Spira's map. Some of that time was spent side questing for the focal character of this dech tech: <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__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuna, Grand Summoner|fic|208"></div></div>
<p>Although Yuna is the secondary commander in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/counter-blitz" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Counter Blitz</em> preconstructed deck</a>, this is not a precon upgrade guide. This is also not a budget deck; it's way too rich for me, but it's fun to theorycraft. So here I go, brewing Yuna for the Optimized (4) Bracket.</p>
<h2>Who Is Yuna, Grand Summoner and What Does She Do?</h2>
<p>Yuna is a central story character and vital party member in <em>Final Fantasy X</em>. In the role-playing game, Yuna is on a religious pilgrimage and she summons powerful creatures in battle. In <em>Magic</em>, Yuna is a Cleric with a mana ability that rewards you for casting creatures. That's a flavor win as far as I'm concerned. While you can use Yuna's mana for anything, she promises upside to the next creature spell you cast this turn by giving it two additional +1/+1 counters. Notably, this second part of Yuna's mana ability is a delayed trigger, and creates a decision point during deck construction and gameplay. The straightforward line is to spend the mana on a creature spell <em>now</em> and immediately get the counters. Some of the more interesting lines involve saving the trigger for later (more on this later).</p>
<p>Yuna's second ability is a triggered ability that allows us to manipulate counters and play with our graveyard. If this ability reflects any aspect of Yuna's character, I don't remember it. Granted, a lot of my mental bandwidth for <em>Final Fantasy X</em> is devoted to despising <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Blitzball" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blitzball</a>. Despite not remembering any reason for Yuna to care about permanents hitting the graveyard, I'm excited about this card ability. If a permanent you control with counters on it is put into any graveyard, then Yuna places an equal number of+1/+1 counters on any target creature. The permanent that goes in the bin doesn't have to be a creature, and the original counters don't have to be +1/+1 counters. In other words, there's a wide range of possible triggers.</p>
<p>Just a quick nonbo note: avoid finality counters. These counters create a replacement effect that exiles instead. Any counters that would have been available for Yuna's second ability will be lost.</p>
<h2>Veggies and Value</h2>
<p>I created this deck on <a href="http://www.archidekt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archidekt</a> with card packages for ramp, mana base, and board wipes. Card packages are a great feature to expedite adding essential cards to a deck, saving time for the fun parts of the deck building process.</p>
<p>One of the more enjoyable aspects of brewing a new commander is finding those synergistic value pieces. While both of Yuna's abilities can be played for value, her second ability leans into the graveyard for extra utility and resilience.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evolution Witness"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fantastic pairing with Yuna's second ability. If a permanent goes to the yard with counters on it, then targeting Evolution Witness to receive +1/+1 counters from Yuna will allow us to return a permanent from the graveyard to hand. This interaction can mitigate opponents' removal, or we can take advantage of it with sacrifice outlets.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rikku, Resourceful Guardian"></div></div>
<p>I included a few other cards that benefit from receiving counters. Picks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scurry Oak" href="#" target="_blank">Scurry Oak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to go wide, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wildwood Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Wildwood Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to go tall, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rikku, Resourceful Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Rikku, Resourceful Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for evasion.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ratchet Bomb"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ratchet Bomb" href="#" target="_blank">Ratchet Bomb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Engineered Explosives" href="#" target="_blank">Engineered Explosives</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are handy sweepers, and can be played for extra layers of value in this deck since their charge counters will become +1/+1 counters after sacrificing them. We can take this a step further. By aiming for a number of charge counters equal to the mana value of our own permanents, we effectively turn these removal artifacts into sacrifice outlets to pump up more valuable creatures. Set this up preemptively for an impactful attack, or maybe as an edge case to to save an important creature from damage.</p>
<h2>Yuna, Combo Queen</h2>
<p>If Yuna, Grand Summoner is going to make a splash in higher Brackets, then some of the key cards for this deck should be combo pieces. Both of Yuna's abilities have combo potential, but the first ability requires fewer combo pieces to achieve a winning game state.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Freed from the Real"></div></div>
<p>Remember that delayed trigger we saved until later? Saving it gives us opportunities to duplicate it, such as untapping Yuna to do it again. Using either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pemmin&#039;s Aura" href="#" target="_blank">Pemmin&#039;s Aura</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Freed from the Real" href="#" target="_blank">Freed from the Real</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you can make blue mana with Yuna and spend it to untap her. This allows Yuna to tap and produce mana again. You can repeat this cycle as many times as you like to create any number of delayed triggers, which will all resolve on the next creature spell you cast. That creature will enter with a number of counters equal to twice the number of times Yuna tapped for mana.</p>
<div id="4222-6566" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Even better than Freed from the Real, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pemmin&#039;s Aura" href="#" target="_blank">Pemmin&#039;s Aura</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can protect Yuna from targeted removal and make her more dangerous in combat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pemmin&#039;s Aura"></div></div>
<p>Just in case we don't find those Auras for Yuna, untappers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ioreth of the Healing House" href="#" target="_blank">Ioreth of the Healing House</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saryth, the Viper&#039;s Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Saryth, the Viper&#039;s Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide redundancy. If you have both of those creatures with Yuna, then the three of them combine into a three-card untapping extravaganza.</p>
<div id="1432-4513-6566" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
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<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe></p>
<p>However you untap Yuna, there are plenty of support pieces to improve the potency. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Abundance" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Abundance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> net extra mana, which we can pump into winning payoffs.</p>
<h2>How to Win With Yuna, Grand Summoner Combos</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Walking Ballista"></div></div>
<p>Let's start our push to victory by circling back to those tapping and untapping combos. The combos I picked don't inherently win the game. It doesn't matter how many times we <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twiddle" href="#" target="_blank">Twiddle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Yuna, it's nondeterministic until we add a creature payoff. One of my favorite win conditions in this deck is <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>. First, repeat the cycle of tapping and untapping Yuna a number of times greater than half of your opponents' combined life. Then cast Walking Ballista. It will enter with an amount of counters exceeding your opponents' life totals and you win the game by pinging them to death. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triskelion" href="#" target="_blank">Triskelion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can serve as a backup for this plan, but it requires more mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Twenty-Toed Toad"></div></div>
<p>Another great win condition in this deck is <em>Bloomburrow</em>'s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twenty-Toed Toad" href="#" target="_blank">Twenty-Toed Toad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This croaker can puff up with or without Yuna's help into a must-answer threat.</p>
<p>If combos and "you win" cards are unable to carry this deck to victory, there's always combat. Many of the creatures in the deck are ready to turn sideways. Also, Yuna can target herself with her second ability to becoming a serious commander damage threat.</p>
<h2>Yuna, Grand Summoner Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Yuna, Grand Summoner Dech Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Yuna, Grand Summoner
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Astral Cornucopia
*1 Engineered Explosives
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Patriar&#039;s Seal
*1 Ratchet Bomb
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Ozolith
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Altar of Bone
*1 Distant Memories
*1 Idyllic Tutor
*1 Insist
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Storm the Seedcore
*1 Sylvan Tutor
*1 Three Visits
*1 What Must Be Done
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Abzan Falconer
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Bounty Agent
*1 Cankerbloom
*1 Cathar Commando
*1 Crystalline Giant
*1 Danny Pink
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Evolution Witness
*1 Forgotten Ancient
*1 Herd Baloth
*1 Ioreth of the Healing House
*1 Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
*1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
*1 Lonis, Genetics Expert
*1 Rikku, Resourceful Guardian
*1 Robaran Mercenaries
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Saryth, the Viper&#039;s Fang
*1 Scurry Oak
*1 Slippery Bogbonder
*1 Triskelion
*1 Tuskguard Captain
*1 Twenty-Toed Toad
*1 Walking Ballista
*1 Wildwood Scourge
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Freed from the Real
*1 Leyline of Abundance
*1 Pemmin&#039;s Aura
*1 Sterling Grove
*1 Utopia Sprawl
*1 Well Rested
*1 Wild Growth
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Bant Charm
*1 Beast Within
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Eladamri&#039;s Call
*1 Enlightened Tutor
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Gift of the Viper
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Slip Out the Back
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
*1 Worldly Tutor
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Blast Zone
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Command Tower
*1 Demolition Field
*1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Strand
*7 Forest
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 High Market
*5 Island
*1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
*1 Minamo, School at Water&#039;s Edge
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Path of Ancestry
*3 Plains
*1 Plaza of Heroes
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Shifting Woodland
*1 Spara&#039;s Headquarters
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Windswept Heath
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Sequel Setup</h2>
<p><em>Final Fantasy X </em>has a sequel and a remaster. I've never played either of them, just like I'll never play this deck in paper. It was a lot of fun to tinker with, and hopefully you found a little inspiration here. I love this card; Yuna is a very open ended commander with more potential than there are slots in the 99. If you're building <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>, tell me about your brew in the comments below.</p>


Yuna, Grand Summoner Optimized Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultimecia, Time Sorceress" href="#" target="_blank">Ultimecia, Time Sorceress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMikio+Masuda%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mikio Masuda</a></em></p>
<p>Five-mana Dimir legend, surveils two when it enters and attacks, yeah yeah, whatever. It has a transform cost for eight mana that you can activate if you exile eight cards from your graveyard. Is there anything interesting that this card does? What's the backside? 7/7, menace, ok cool. TAKE AN EXTRA TURN?! What the heck is this? Never before has it been possible to take an extra turn in pEDH (or Pauper Commander), as there's never been a common or uncommon card with that effect. But with the arrival of <em>Final Fantasy</em>, we've got a commander that can stretch time out for us.</p>
<p>Is thirteen mana and eight cards from our graveyard a good price to pay for an extra turn? Absolutely not. But come on, it's an extra turn. We've got the opportunity to do something never done before. So let's not waste any time!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultimecia, Time Sorceress" href="#" target="_blank">Ultimecia, Time Sorceress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ultimecia, Time Sorceress"></div></div>
<p>Ok, so what exactly are we gonna do with Ultimecia? Well, we're gonna take as many extra turns as possible. What else would we do with her? Our goal here is just to trigger her ability over and over again. Once we do that, we'll just win with the insane advantage that extra turns give.</p>
<p>Conveniently, I instantly spotted an easy way to retrigger Ultimecia. Even though the card is designed to only do it's thing once, if we blink it while it's transformed, it'll go back to the front face, and then all we have to do to get that extra turn is retransform it. Simple enough, and there's no shortage of cards that'll do that for us. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Displace" href="#" target="_blank">Displace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Flicker" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Flicker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Time Twist" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Time Twist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siren&#039;s Ruse" href="#" target="_blank">Siren&#039;s Ruse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and a few others will do nicely. In total, we have eight cards that can be used to blink our commander, that range from the efficiency of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Essence Flux" href="#" target="_blank">Essence Flux</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyskipper Duo" href="#" target="_blank">Skyskipper Duo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghostly Flicker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Essence Flux"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyskipper Duo"></div></div>
<p>Now eight isn't a whole lot, and I did consider adding cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>to the mix. This is part of a trick I've used many times, and it involves casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then sacrificing the targeted creature, essentially replicating a blink effect. It basically doubles the amount of blink spells you can have in a blue-black deck, and the only cost is having to play some sacrifice outlets. But here we have enough card advantage to find our blink spells. And if not, we're running a few transmute tutors like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muddle the Mixture" href="#" target="_blank">Muddle the Mixture</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Not Dead After All"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muddle the Mixture"></div></div>
<p>Still, the only thing we're doing is taking extra turns for an absurd cost, so it's not like we're losing a lot if we can't do that ten times.</p>
<h2>Fueling the Ultimecia Extra Turns Engine</h2>
<p>The next thing to figure out is how we're gonna get eight cards into our graveyard every time we want to activate Ultimecia. I thought it wouldn't be a difficult task, but consistent mill is surprisingly difficult to find in pEDH. Our commander surveils two cards every time it enters, so all we really need to do is find six more cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sage&#039;s Row Denizen" href="#" target="_blank">Sage&#039;s Row Denizen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would add two every time we blink our commander, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sinister Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sinister Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deranged Assistant" href="#" target="_blank">Deranged Assistant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could also do some work. But the only other thing we could really rely on would be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tome Scour" href="#" target="_blank">Tome Scour</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Twist" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Twist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and that's pretty inefficient.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sage&#039;s Row Denizen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deranged Assistant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tome Scour"></div></div>
<p>So after coming to the conclusion that I didn't really want to run a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pelargir Survivor" href="#" target="_blank">Pelargir Survivor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I jumped to a solution I knew would work, even if it came with some downsides. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are absolutely incredible at milling. Get four of them on the board, and you can mill twelve cards every single turn. That's nuts! And as a little bonus, the numbers line up so that you'd only have to activate them twice to fuel our commander for three turns. Perfect!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Persistent Petitioners"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Persistent Petitioners"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Persistent Petitioners"></div></div>
<p>But about that downside I mentioned. Because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are so reliant on each other, you need to absolutely guarantee that you're gonna find four of them every single game. Twenty-eight copies is my personal minimum. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem at all, because milling would be your primary game plan, but here, we're only using it to supplement our primary strategy of blinking our commander for extra turns. That means we're taking up a lot of space with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that we'd rather use on blink spells, or ramp.</p>
<p>The upsides of the Petitioners definitely outweigh the downsides, but it means we're gonna have to really make the most out of our other 43 cards, if we're running 31 lands. Sorry, 30 cards. We're using 13 slots for blink cards and tutors for blink. I think I want to use ten of those slots for ramp, and maybe five of them for card draw like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Night&#039;s Whisper" href="#" target="_blank">Night&#039;s Whisper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Oh and another five for removal and stuff. Can't forget the important things in a deck! But that only leaves us ten cards for figuring out how to win.</p>
<h2>How Does Ultimecia, Time Sorceress Win?</h2>
<p>Yeah, we still have to do that. Believe it or not, taking extra turns over and over again doesn't actually win, it just annoys the heck out of our opponents. Luckily, I have a plan.</p>
<p>After it's transformed, our commander has seven power, a number that spells doom for our opponents in just three hits. And keep in mind that because we're taking an extra turn, our commander will be able to attack without summoning sickness. Then, we can blink it again, reactivate it, and attack on our next extra turn as well. The only thing we need to make this work is evasion, and Pauper has no shortage of spells that make a creature unblockable. These will all do the trick:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slip Through Space" href="#" target="_blank">Slip Through Space</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Distortion Strike" href="#" target="_blank">Distortion Strike</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><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></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="You Come to a River" href="#" target="_blank">You Come to a River</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slip Through Space"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artful Dodge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="You Come to a River"></div></div>
<h2>Ultimecia, Time Sorceress Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ultimecia, Time Sorceress - Pauper Commander" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ultimecia, Time Sorceress // Ultimecia, Omnipotent
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Blur
*1 Counterspell
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Displace
*1 Dizzy Spell
*1 Essence Flux
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Muddle the Mixture
*1 Perplex
*1 Planar Incision
*1 Siren&#039;s Ruse
*1 Teferi&#039;s Time Twist
*1 You Come to a River
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Archaeomancer
*1 Deranged Assistant
*1 Dreamscape Artist
*1 Mulldrifter
*28 Persistent Petitioners
*1 Sinister Starfish
*1 Skyskipper Duo
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Charcoal Diamond
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Artful Dodge
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Distortion Strike
*1 Enter the Enigma
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Lórien Revealed
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Slip Through Space
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*15 Island
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*15 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>And with that, I think we've got a great deck. Ok, maybe great is too strong of a word. We've got a wild deck, that's for sure. It's more than capable of taking multiple extra turns in a row, cause once you have around ten mana on board, you can really get rolling. But is ten mana, four <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persistent Petitioners" href="#" target="_blank">Persistent Petitioners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on board, a few blink spells, and a few unblockable spells in hand too much to ask? Yeah, totally. But who really cares? We're taking extra turns in Pauper. It's something that's never been done! We're really pioneering here.</p>
<p>We may be making our way to an Artic wasteland, but progress is progress.</p>


Ultimecia, Time Sorceress - Taking Extra Turns In Pauper Commander

Seeking (Birds of) Paradise: Building Choco, Seeker of Paradise in EDH

Limit Break Precon Guide - Final Fantasy

<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>


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