<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commissar Severina Raine" href="#" target="_blank">Commissar Severina Raine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>|Art by <a href="https://jakemurraystudio.com/">Jake Murray</a></h6>
<h1>The Call at Dawn</h1>
<p>Hi, and welcome to <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>, where we go outside the <em>Magic: The Gathering </em>universe, and explore outside IPs. Today, we're turning our attention to the <em>Warhammer </em>universe (specifically 40k). That particular release was important as it was the first time we had a major release from <em>Universes Beyond</em>.</p>
<p>Such releases fell in two categories: A full-on set, or the soon-to-be-extinct precon releases. <em>Warhammer</em> fell into the latter category, featuring Necrons, Tyranids, Chaos, and the Imperium.</p>
<p>However, it's that last faction we're looking at today. Of the 99 in that precon, one stood out to me as particularly strong, and being an engine on her own. Also, we're picking a deck that's partially outside my wheelhouse. Without further ado, let's get to it.</p>
<h1>Greeting the Commander</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commissar Severina Raine"></div></div>
<p>Severina was an Imperial Commissar who served the Astra Militarum, protecting a region known as the Bane Stars from the forces of Chaos. Before she assumed command of her regiment, she executed the previous captain, a well-beloved figure, for going against the Lord General Militant's orders, saying that the mission was a suicidal charge.</p>
<p>Severina would go forward with the mission, commanding the regiment, and securing victory despite heavy losses. However, she had to quell a near-mutiny when she took command, and those troops still harbor a grudge for the death of their captain.</p>
<p>Firstly, Severina wants us to go wide, and on the offensive, because her attack trigger will soften our opponents' life totals before our army even connects. More more you attack with, the stronger the effect. However, she also draws you cards by sacrificing a creature by paying two generic mana. A simple, yet paradoxical card.</p>
<h1>Harboring a Grudge</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bastion of Remembrance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Morbid Opportunist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pitiless Plunderer"></div></div>
<p>I'm going to get this out of the way: I do not like Aristocrats. I despise the archetype for a number of reasons, especially the "death by a thousand cuts" plan. I feel like you're so dependent on assembling an infinite combo to really make cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shine.</p>
<p>While I enjoyed the Vampire precon from <em>Lost Caverns of Ixalan</em>, that didn't do much to address my disdain for the archetype. There's only one other thing I hate more than aristocrats, so this is number two in a top five list (If you must know, it's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merieke Ri Berit" href="#" target="_blank">Merieke Ri Berit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). That said, I'm writing this for you, readers, so I'll swallow my grudge and carry on.</p>
<p>To begin, we do not have a lot of Blood Artist-like effects, so we'd have to take what we can get. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirkwood Bats" href="#" target="_blank">Mirkwood Bats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (272,056 decks) stands among the best of these, checking for any token that comes in or is sacrificed, which we'll be doing plenty. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanguinary Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Sanguinary Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (11,344 decks) pings a target, and gains us a life back.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion of Remembrance" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion of Remembrance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (173,899 decks) gives us a token, and does a good impression of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (using an in-universe example). Lasty, while it's no Blood Artist, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (219,588 decks) gives us treasure when another creature we control dies.</p>
<h1>Rallying the Creatures</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Securitron Squadron"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Captain of the Watch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Death in Heaven"></div></div>
<p>Most importantly, we need creatures to sacrifice, and what better options are there, but tokens? Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain of the Watch" href="#" target="_blank">Captain of the Watch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (27,946 decks) replenishes our board with soldiers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Company Commander" href="#" target="_blank">Company Commander</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (18,366 decks) is best played early on, as its enters ability is strongest when all of your opponents are present.</p>
<p>On the other hand, we also have a number of creatures with the Squad mechanic, which we play premium for an extra copy of the card. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Securitron Squadron" href="#" target="_blank">Securitron Squadron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (18,922 decks), if you pay enough into the Squad cost, is a game-ender. Likewise, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ultramarines Honour Guard" href="#" target="_blank">Ultramarines Honour Guard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (18,417 decks) is another anthem effect that could make our creatures bigger.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death in Heaven" href="#" target="_blank">Death in Heaven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (10,658 decks) is a graveyard hoser and, picking the right target, an army-in-a can. Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entrapment Maneuver" href="#" target="_blank">Entrapment Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (20,403 decks) makes our opponent sacrifice a creature, and we get an army for it. Be sure to use it right to get maximum value out of it. Four mana is a lot to leave up, after all.</p>
<p>The myriad mechanic is another good choice, but will not count for Severina's attack trigger, so keep that in mind. However, the one that stands out here is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dalek Squadron" href="#" target="_blank">Dalek Squadron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (15,401 decks), which has to be double-blocked.</p>
<p>Alternatively, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of Selves" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of Selves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (76,859 decks), but it'll need the right creature to equip to get mileage in this list. That said, I brought up aristocrats, so what kind of value can we reap from sacrificing our tokens?</p>
<h1>Planning a Strategy</h1>
<p>If there's one thing aristocrat decks tend to gain, it's value. I mentioned the Blood Artist effects earlier, but we have more payoffs. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (126,459 decks) gets us an absurd amount of mana.</p>
<p><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> (reskinned as Bedivere's Scales; 405,311 decks) does this, too, and it's a free outlet. Those are the ones to immediately slam into the deck (ironically not in this list for a reason I'll explain when we get to it).</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call for Unity" href="#" target="_blank">Call for Unity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (12,406 decks) is slow to get going, but it can add up. On the other hand, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Morbid Opportunist" href="#" target="_blank">Morbid Opportunist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (164,466 decks) gives us a card if a creature died each turn. In a similar vein, it's best to treat <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (667,040 decks) as a sacrifice outlet if the tokens are 1/1s, as that'll draw us two cards for each one you 'clamp.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Golden Throne" href="#" target="_blank">The Golden Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (25,043 decks) gives us three mana if we sacrifice a creature. It also can save us from a lethal strike, but only once, and it puts us at one life, so hope no one pings you, and make you lose in such an embarrassing manner.</p>
<p>Alternatively, swinging out with a big board works just as well. However, you need to have a large number of creatures to make that worthwhile, but don't hesitate if you can land a hit in.</p>
<p>One or two life on attack isn't much, but it can add up quickly. There is this tension between this, and an aristocrats plan, so it's best to know when to lean into one strategy more than the other, then switch it when you're ready to do so.</p>
<h1>Addressing the Deck</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond-The Call to War" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Commissar Severina Raine
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 And They Shall Know No Fear
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Darkness
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Entrapment Maneuver
*1 Flawless Maneuver
*1 Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Lethal Scheme
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Secure the Wastes
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Unbreakable Formation
*1 Utter End
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Hierarchy
*1 The Golden Throne
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Ballroom
*1 Command Tower
*1 Desolate Mire
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Memorial to Glory
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Path of Ancestry
*10 Plains
*1 Scoured Barrens
*1 Shineshadow Snarl
*1 Silent Clearing
*10 Swamp
*1 Tainted Field
*1 Temple of Silence
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 War Room
*1 Windbrisk Heights
[/Lands]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Collective Effort
*1 Crisis of Conscience
*1 Dread Return
*1 Everything Comes to Dust
*1 Exterminatus
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Fell the Mighty
*1 For the Emperor!
*1 Increasing Devotion
*1 Martial Coup
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bastion of Remembrance
*1 Black Market
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Call for Unity
*1 Dawn of Hope
*1 Death in Heaven
*1 Intangible Virtue
*1 Vault 75: Middle School
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Captain of the Watch
*1 Company Commander
*1 Dalek Squadron
*1 Elder Arthur Maxson
*1 Escarpment Fortress
*1 General&#039;s Enforcer
*1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Mirkwood Bats
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Overseer of Vault 76
*1 Pitiless Plunderer
*1 Primaris Chaplain
*1 Sanguinary Priest
*1 Securitron Squadron
*1 Sloppity Bilepiper
*1 Space Marine Devastator
*1 The Meep
*1 Ultramarines Honour Guard
*1 Wasteland Raider
*1 White Glove Gourmand
[/Creatures]"></span></div>
<h1>Turning the Tide of the Game</h1>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="For the Emperor!"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exterminatus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal"></div></div>
<p>You'll see that, in this list, I made aristocrats a sub-theme, and focused harder on the aggro plan. This is because you're more likely to get Severina's attack trigger than use the activated ability.</p>
<p>Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Meep" href="#" target="_blank">The Meep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (provided you sacrifice a big enough creature; 529 decks) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="For the Emperor!" href="#" target="_blank">For the Emperor!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (8,418 decks) are swingy finishers in their own right. It had been my original plan all along, and the aristocrats aspect of the deck just came naturally.</p>
<p>For a token list, there's a lot of wipes, but very few are absolute. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Martial Coup" href="#" target="_blank">Martial Coup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (79,645 decks) leaves behind an army to work with. Secondly, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fell the Mighty" href="#" target="_blank">Fell the Mighty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crisis of Conscience" href="#" target="_blank">Crisis of Conscience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (68,710 and 5,119 decks respectively) both ensure that our tokens stick around.</p>
<p>The absolute wipes we do have are a last resort, and should be treated as such. Above all, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exterminatus" href="#" target="_blank">Exterminatus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (besides being absolutely fun to slam down; 7,978 decks) will wipe out everything, except lands.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Everything Comes to Dust" href="#" target="_blank">Everything Comes to Dust</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (20,284 decks) will help secure our board, if you use the convoke cost. However, be aware that you'll be sparing some of your opponents' creatures, too.</p>
<p>That said, while we have a ton of wipes, the list also carries lots of board protection. The best of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal" href="#" target="_blank">Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (47,752 decks), which either saves our stuff, or clears the way for lethal damage.</p>
<p>However, that's not to say other cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flawless Maneuver" href="#" target="_blank">Flawless Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unbreakable Formation" href="#" target="_blank">Unbreakable Formation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (260,956 and 174,495 decks respectively) are slouches, either.</p>
<p>Each one has their uses, be it free to cast or can be used to advance our board state in some way. On the other hand, you might even want the board wiped of threats, or to enable the aristocrats subtheme. Perhaps it's both.</p>
<h1>Going Home</h1>
<p>In conclusion, with the limited but burgeoning card pool we have, we can still make something out of it. Even archetypes I tend to not like can be made here. Who knows? We might even get a Blood Artist reskin down the line. Aristocrats is not an archetype I tend to venture into for reasons I explained, but I hope that the list does a good enough job to convey it.</p>
<p>When building the list, I was originally looking at some of the other options that could fit a similar mold. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colonel Autumn" href="#" target="_blank">Colonel Autumn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would strengthen your tokens, but you need a critical mass of legendary creatures to make him useful. Secondly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="MacCready, Lamplight Mayor" href="#" target="_blank">MacCready, Lamplight Mayor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would've worked if we weren't using many anthem effects.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elder Arthur Maxson" href="#" target="_blank">Elder Arthur Maxson</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who is in the decklist, gives counters to our tokens, and is a free sacrifice outlet himself, mainly to protect himself. I was going to randomize what commander to use before each game, but I eventually settled on Severina, since the others have a niche to them the deck couldn't satisfy.</p>
<p>Maybe one day I can make that work for a different deck (Though, the Boros Equipment deck from last week is a good candidate for this).</p>
<p>Join me next time, when we return to an earlier franchise with a favorite deck in mind. Until then, may you be inspired by what's beyond <em>Magic</em>'s IP.</p>


Beyond the Multiverse - Commissar Severina Raine

Brew For Your Buck - Felisa Budget Deck Tech

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine|MH3|366" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar, Sire of Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.jack-hughes.com/">Jack Hughes</a></h6>
<h1><b>Black and white cookies</b></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hi again! Welcome back to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">EDHighlights</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the series where I build decks for 2024's most popular commander for each color combination. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now that 2024's set releases have wrapped up, I'll be taking a look at the most popular legendary creatures that were released in the past year, talking a bit about them, and finally building hopefully-slightly-unique decks around them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week, I'm taking a look at 2024's most popular Orzhov commander, which means we'll be working with … <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar, Sire of Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> received a good bit of attention, with 4072 decks to his name as of the time of writing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Interestingly, there was another popular commander from </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Modern Horizons 3</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin of House Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin of House Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to my very limited knowledge of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">'s lore (</span><a href="https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Shilgengar%27s_Ritual"><span style="font-weight: 400;">and the MTG Wiki</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), Shilgengar is (at least partially) responsible for Sorin's bloodline of Vampires coming into being and for the ignition of Sorin's spark. But, you're not here because you care about </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">MTG</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> lore. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You're here because you care about EDH deck building. So, let's get on with it already.</span></p>
<h2><b>Not everything is black and white</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 6/6 Elder Demon with Flying for 5 mana. He's got two other abilities, too. We can sacrifice a creature to make a Blood token or several Blood tokens if the sacrificed creature was an Angel. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, by paying <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wb" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wb" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-wb" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and sacrificing six Blood tokens, we can reanimate every creature from our graveyard. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are pretty powerful abilities. Free sacrifice outlets are always powerful, especially sacrifice outlets that create something beneficial like a Blood token. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, once we've sacrificed enough creatures to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (or discarded them to our Blood tokens), we can use his ability to bring them all back at a pretty low cost. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This presents a pretty solid Aristocrats gameplan, with a low-cost mass reanimate ability to finish out games stapled onto our commander too.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> But, I want to add another way to win: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortal Combat" href="#" target="_blank">Mortal Combat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Let's talk about the deck, ways to trigger that alternate win condition, and other cards that make the deck tick.</span></p>
<h2><b>Is that a Mortal Kombat reference?</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let's start by talking about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortal Combat" href="#" target="_blank">Mortal Combat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This four mana enchantment asks that we have 20 creatures in our graveyard at the beginning of our upkeep, so we're gonna need a lot of ways to fill that graveyard. Our commander can help with that, but here are a few of my other favorites:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firja, Judge of Valor" href="#" target="_blank">Firja, Judge of Valor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will provide card advantage while filling the graveyard, and it's also an Angel (which works well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ability). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ripples of Undeath" href="#" target="_blank">Ripples of Undeath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very similar, but it can be cast for just two mana.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> There's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dogged Detective" href="#" target="_blank">Dogged Detective</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a repeatable way to fill our graveyard once we have a sacrifice outlet (like our commander) on the field.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firja, Judge of Valor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ripples of Undeath"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dogged Detective"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once we've got a full graveyard, we do need to fetch up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortal Combat" href="#" target="_blank">Mortal Combat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the win. While more traditional tutors do work well here, there's a few special includes I wanted to show off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <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> can either be transmuted to find our win condition (thus adding another card to the graveyard for its 20-card requirement) or act as a sacrifice outlet to fill the graveyard with what we've already got on board. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beseech the Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Beseech the Mirror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> which can sacrifice a Blood token to get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortal Combat" href="#" target="_blank">Mortal Combat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> down directly.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dimir House Guard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beseech the Mirror"></div></div></span></p>
<h2><b>An Orzhov aristocrats deck? Unheard of!</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, because it's an Orzhov deck with a sacrifice outlet in the command zone, there's good few cards to support that strategy in the 99. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz" href="#" target="_blank">Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher" href="#" target="_blank">Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are standouts here, triggering when we sacrifice creatures, tokens, and even fetch lands.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Arisen Nightmare" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Arisen Nightmare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works very well too, as it can sacrifice either a Blood token or a spare creature, whichever is most strategic at each of our end steps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Braids, Arisen Nightmare"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because this deck has a lot of Angels in it, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bishop of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Bishop of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will provide a lot of life gain and a lot of Spirit tokens. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampage of the Valkyries" href="#" target="_blank">Rampage of the Valkyries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will do a pretty good impression of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Pact" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Pact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, last but not least, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liesa, Forgotten Archangel" href="#" target="_blank">Liesa, Forgotten Archangel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will rebuy each of our creatures while ensuring that our opponents' dead creatures stay dead.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bishop of Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampage of the Valkyries"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liesa, Forgotten Archangel"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of Angel synergies, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firja&#039;s Retribution" href="#" target="_blank">Firja&#039;s Retribution</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes Angels, can provide a ton of removal, and even end games if we've got enough Angels on board. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The recently-reprinted <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Righteous Valkyrie" href="#" target="_blank">Righteous Valkyrie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will provide life gain and act as a sweet anthem once we cast enough Angels, and (as always) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giada, Font of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Giada, Font of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does most everything that an Angel-centric deck wants for just two mana.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firja&#039;s Retribution"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Righteous Valkyrie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giada, Font of Hope"></div></div></span></p>
<h2><b>Blood is thicker than water</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I included a few more ways to take advantage of our use of Blood tokens too, starting with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marionette Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Marionette Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card triggers off of both Blood tokens and creatures leaving the battlefield, pulling double duty here. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oltec Matterweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Oltec Matterweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite cards from the past year, and it'll help add to our blood collection as the game drags on. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonstone Eulogist" href="#" target="_blank">Moonstone Eulogist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which feels purpose built for this deck. It'll become a huge flying threat in no time, and probably make a few extra Blood tokens along the way.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marionette Apprentice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oltec Matterweaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonstone Eulogist"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And here's the full decklist…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="2024&#039;s EDHighlights - Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Shilgengar, Sire of Famine
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Angel of Despair
*1 Angel of Indemnity
*1 Angel of Suffering
*1 Angel of the Ruins
*1 Angelic Sell-Sword
*1 Battle Angels of Tyr
*1 Bishop of Wings
*1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
*1 Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher
*1 Dazzling Angel
*1 Dimir House Guard
*1 Disciple of the Vault
*1 Dogged Detective
*1 Fain, the Broker
*1 Firja, Judge of Valor
*1 Fleshwrither
*1 Giada, Font of Hope
*1 Golgari Thug
*1 Guardian of Ghirapur
*1 Herald of the Host
*1 Karmic Guide
*1 Liesa, Forgotten Archangel
*1 Loran of the Third Path
*1 Marionette Apprentice
*1 Millikin
*1 Mirkwood Bats
*1 Moon-Blessed Cleric
*1 Moonstone Eulogist
*1 Oltec Matterweaver
*1 Overlord of the Balemurk
*1 Renegade Reaper
*1 Restoration Angel
*1 Righteous Valkyrie
*1 Sanctuary Warden
*1 Scholar of New Horizons
*1 Serra Paragon
*1 Shepherd of the Cosmos
*1 Starnheim Aspirant
*1 Stinkweed Imp
*1 Stitcher&#039;s Supplier
*1 Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz
*1 Woe Strider
*1 Youthful Valkyrie
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Beseech the Mirror
*1 Blasphemous Edict
*1 Damn
*1 Demonic Counsel
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Incarnation Technique
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Herald&#039;s Horn
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Palantír of Orthanc
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Hierarchy
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Firja&#039;s Retribution
*1 Mortal Combat
*1 Rampage of the Valkyries
*1 Ripples of Undeath
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Command Tower
*1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
*1 Fetid Heath
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Nesting Grounds
*7 Plains
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Seraph Sanctuary
*1 Shadowy Backstreet
*1 Shattered Sanctum
*1 Silent Clearing
*1 Snowfield Sinkhole
*1 Sunlit Marsh
*5 Swamp
*1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
*1 Vault of Champions
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Windswept Heath
[/Lands]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2><b><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inevitable End" href="#" target="_blank">Inevitable End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks for reading, folks! I didn't touch on it earlier, but when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shilgengar, Sire of Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Shilgengar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reanimates creatures with his second ability, he put a finality counter on each of them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> I included a few ways to get rid of those counters, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scholar of New Horizons" href="#" target="_blank">Scholar of New Horizons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to turn finality counters into lands, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fain, the Broker" href="#" target="_blank">Fain, the Broker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to turn counters into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanctuary Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Sanctuary Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to turn them into 1/1 creatures and card advantage.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scholar of New Horizons"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fain, the Broker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sanctuary Warden"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before I go, I also wanted to talk about a few other Angels that work really well with the overall game plan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shepherd of the Cosmos" href="#" target="_blank">Shepherd of the Cosmos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can bring back something we’ve sacrificed, and can even grab a fetch land for some sneaky ramp.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Herald of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is fine as a french vanilla 4/4 for five mana, but because the myriad tokens can be sacrificed to our commander, this creature becomes a lot stronger here.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> And, because of the high creature count in this deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angelic Sell-Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Angelic Sell-Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can produce a boatload of tokens.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shepherd of the Cosmos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Herald of the Host"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angelic Sell-Sword"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I'll see you all next week, when we take a look at 2024's most popular Izzet commander.</span></p>


2024’s EDHighlights -  Shilgengar, Sire of Famine

From the Brim to the Trim - Budget Engines and Grounded Opponents

Back to Basics - The Top 10 Most Played Orzhov Cards in Commander

Wombo Combo - Best Orzhov Combo Cards in EDH

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/409/orzhov-basilica">Orzhov Basilica</a> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJim+Nelson%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Jim Nelson</a>)</h6>
<h1>Kaya and Sorin Sitting in a Tree, Definitely Not KISSING</h1>
<p>The question of planeswalkers as commanders has been brought up in <em>Magic</em> discourse an infinite number of times. People say it would kill EDH as a format, and others say it will do nothing but give more options to a perpetually endless pool of commanders. I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. My name is Nick, and the thirteenth installment of <em>Myth Realized</em> will cover Orzhov (white, black) cards. Let's take a look at how they would each ruin (or not ruin) your favorite 100-card Singleton format.</p>
<p>If you've stuck around with me until this article, you know what cards to look for in this color combination. If not, check out the articles I did in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander/">white</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-black/">black</a> to see the cards I've previously shouted out in these colors.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaya, Bane of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Kaya, Bane of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 3(W/B W/B W/B)</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaya, Bane of the Dead"></div></div>
<p>Well, it is a bit of a shame to start the year off with such a stinker of a card, but here we are. If you told me a planeswalker cost six mana but had seven loyalty in the dark, I might think it was not too bad. When you tell me it is the Bane of the Dead, I will tell you never to speak to me again. There is no world where I would pay this amount of mana for something I can play in any color deck by adding a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Detection Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Detection Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to my mana base. Adding on an exile effect as the only ability on this card does not improve its status as a bad card in every situation.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaya, Geist Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Kaya, Geist Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 1BW</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaya, Geist Hunter"></div></div>
<p>On the other hand, Geist Hunter is a bit of a mixed bag. There is no doubt that the card is powerful. Giving your team Deathtouch means that no one will be enthused to block you even if you have a board of 1/1 tokens. Any effect that can double up or even triple up on tokens in a deck with white is significant; looking at you, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anointed Procession" href="#" target="_blank">Anointed Procession</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mondrak, Glory Dominus" href="#" target="_blank">Mondrak, Glory Dominus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The downside is that this will be a one-off double-up effect rather than something that can stick around. The ultimate is not out of reach due to being too high on the loyalty numbers. However, I just do not see a world where you are never down-ticking this card to potentially get a slightly improved <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necromancer&#039;s Covenant" href="#" target="_blank">Necromancer&#039;s Covenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The card is only three mana, so everyone should know the rule in place for a planeswalker of that cost by now. It has desirable effects, so this would see play, but it comes with a massive sign reading, "I am a token deck; try to stop me."</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaya, Ghost Assassin" href="#" target="_blank">Kaya, Ghost Assassin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 2BW</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaya, Ghost Assassin"></div></div>
<p>I cannot tell you where, when, why, or how I have died to this card. But I can promise you it has happened. What I can tell you is that it will probably not happen again. This card does come with one of the most interesting loyalty costs on a planeswalker. The ability to blink it and another creature can lead to some interesting play patterns. Outside of the blink ability on this card, I do not think I want to use the other abilities. The life gain/life loss has the "new school" wording, which caps the amount of life you can gain, and you only ever draw one card of the -2 ability. There are some very powerful black creatures with enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effects, though. As long as white has access to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karmic Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Karmic Guide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reveillark" href="#" target="_blank">Reveillark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there will always be something this card can help facilitate.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaya, Intangible Slayer" href="#" target="_blank">Kaya, Intangible Slayer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 3WWBB </strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaya, Intangible Slayer"></div></div>
<p>Do not let the mana value scare you away from this card! This card is well worth finding a way to make it happen. One of the worst things in any game of Magic is playing a planeswalker and having it eat a removal effect from an opponent. With this version of Kaya, your chances of that happening significantly decrease. And before you start yelling about how I did not like the life gain/ life loss on the last Kaya, look at the two cards again. In case you missed it, this one has bigger numbers and is a +2 compared to a -1, so it is some amount of a numerical value better. This card comes down with six loyalty and has relevant abilities, once more setting it apart from a previous iteration. If you still do not trust how good this card is, wait until you are -3 on your opponent's best creature and gain it for yourself. Do it after activating your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaya, Geist Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Kaya, Geist Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> -2 ability. I would run this in the command zone of an Orzhov deck, no questions asked.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaya, Orzhov Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Kaya, Orzhov Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 1WB</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaya, Orzhov Usurper"></div></div>
<p>Strong with a smaller deck. A time went by when this card would live in the main deck or sideboard of 60 card-constructed decks across formats. But we are not dealing with 60-card decks, and we are not dealing with just one opponent. This card is not "bad" like some in the past and, like some, surely will be in the future, but this card is just not designed synergistically for the commander format. It would be hilarious to run this as a commander and kill the self-mill player when they put over half their deck in the graveyard.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaya the Inexorable" href="#" target="_blank">Kaya the Inexorable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 3WB</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaya the Inexorable"></div></div>
<p>It is the best Kaya ever printed and is not even close. Five mana and five loyalty is the only fair thing about this card, beyond that the Inexorable is a house of a card. The +1 makes it near impossible for an opponent to remove your creature, and when they burn the first removal spell or wrath on it, it goes back to your hand, and you get a 1/1 spirit for the trouble. -3 to exile any non-land permanent, sign me up. The first time you see someone exile their creature after they put a ghostform counter on the turn before to reuse the cast/ETB effect of the card, your faith in true beauty will be restored. Possibly the most essential ultimate for legendaries-matter decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esika, God of the Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Esika, God of the Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sisay, Weatherlight Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sisay, Weatherlight Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Not even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farewell" href="#" target="_blank">Farewell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can answer threats if you resolve this ability.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin, Grim Nemesis" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin, Grim Nemesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 4WB</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sorin, Grim Nemesis"></div></div>
<p>To me, Sorin is a massive physical being. Sorin is imposing and someone whose presence you would know when they walked into a room. This card is all about doing things big. Six mana and six loyalty are big numbers for our big bad boy. A card draw and a potential kill condition on the +1 make this card hum when it does see play. Conditional removal with a modal minus ability ensures you can kill what you need and gain life as a bonus. The -9 ability on this card could not be made better for Commander. The highest life total from all players in a format where everyone starts at 40 means a massive amount of Vampire Knights. This might draw some ire from the table if you have it leading your deck, but you might be able to be a successful nemesis, thanks to Sorin.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin, Lord of Innistrad" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin, Lord of Innistrad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 2WB</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sorin, Lord of Innistrad"></div></div>
<p>A four mana planeswalker that has an immediate way to make an emblem; we must be talking about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon, Ally of Zendikar" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon, Ally of Zendikar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, right? No, we are talking about the Lord of Innistrad himself. While this emblem only gives you a power boost, the tokens might be better with lifelink. The token from the +1 ability protects Sorin and is a likely path to reach the ultimate. This color combination is not known for keeping opponents' creatures and planeswalkers around, so if you get to the -6, you might not want to use it as there may be no value for you to garnish. You get bonus points though if you run this card as the leader of a black white Vampire Typal deck.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin, Solemn Visitor" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin, Solemn Visitor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 2WB</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sorin, Solemn Visitor"></div></div>
<p>Before earning his title as Lord of Innistrad, this card was much worse. While this card can give all of your creatures lifelink in addition to the power boost, this is not stapled to an emblem, so the temporary aspect is a knock against this card. A 2/2 token with flying is better than other tokens planeswalkers make, but it does not compensate for this card's unfortunate attempt at an ultimate. Most likely, this card joins the 99 of a few of these other planeswalker lead decks.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - 2WB</strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord"></div></div>
<p>Black white superfriends have a leader, and their name is Sorin. Is giving the planeswalkers you control lifelink that beneficial in this color combination? No, but it is going to be neat. Moving the lifelink ability to the static ability of a planeswalker is the perfect middle ground between an activated loyalty ability and an emblem. The +2 on this card does not do anything special damage-wise, but it does gain you life and get you to a nice high number on loyalty counters. When you use the minus on this card, you will hopefully get something good out of it. This card can do some cool things, and that's sometimes what Commander is all about when you're making a deck.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>A cliché in <em>Magic</em> is "strong in the right deck." That's a great way to describe the top end of the Orzhov walkers. Like most of the colors we have looked at, nothing here will break the format in half. There are some powerhouses in their own right, to be fair. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaya the Inexorable" href="#" target="_blank">Kaya the Inexorable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is the best example of this. The card does so many strong things, and the ultimate is something that, with a deck built around it, can win the game. Many people would rather play a myriad of other Orzhov or black white planeswalkers as their commander or play Kaya in the 99. These planeswalkers emulate a feeling I have about this color combination as a whole; they are strong but missing something. Both the characters of Kaya and Sorin would draw people to using them as the leader of the 99, but I would be shocked if they usurp the likes of <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> for raw power, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teysa Karlov" href="#" target="_blank">Teysa Karlov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for token-based strategies, or<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim" href="#" target="_blank">Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for life gain/aristocrats.</p>
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<h3>Read more:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="0bapFdVctA"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-rakdos/">Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Rakdos)</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="&#8220;Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Rakdos)&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/myth-realized-what-if-any-planeswalker-could-be-your-commander-rakdos/embed/#?secret=azi1GcVZ1o#?secret=0bapFdVctA" data-secret="0bapFdVctA" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="509LvsnYMW"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/reconstruct-history-orzhov-removal/">Reconstruct History — Orzhov Removal</a></p></blockquote>
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Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (Orzhov)

Blood Rites - Precon Review

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Folk Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Folk Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.kaicarpenterart.com/aboutcontact">Kai Carpenter</a>)</h6>
<p><strong><em><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-legends-baldurs-gate-precon-review-party-time/">Party Time</a></em> | <a href="https://commandersherald.com/commander-legends-battle-for-baldurs-gate-edh-commander-deck-review-mind-flayarrrs-blue-black/"><em>Mind Flayarrs</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-legends-baldurs-gate-precon-review-draconic-dissent/"><em>Draconic Dissent</em></a> | </strong><a href="https://commandersherald.com/battle-for-baldurs-gate-exit-from-exile-new-card-review/"><strong><em>Exit from Exile</em></strong></a></p>
<h1>Let's Get This Party Started!</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome to the set review for the <em>Commander Legends: Baldur's Gate</em> preconstructed deck <em>Party Time</em>! We'll be joining the festivities and seeing how this Orzhov deck builds on the party mechanic that was first introduced in <em>Zendikar Rising</em>.</p>
<p>With the introductions out of the way, let's meet the one throwing this shindig!</p>
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<h2>Mythics</h2>
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<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nalia de&#039;Arnise" href="#" target="_blank">Nalia de&#039;Arnise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nalia de&#039;Arnise"></div></div>
<p>Our host for the evening is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nalia de&#039;Arnise" href="#" target="_blank">Nalia de&#039;Arnise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. To understand what she does, we have to remember what the party mechanic even was. In order to have a full party, we must control a Cleric, a Rogue, a Warrior, and a Wizard. Once we've collected them all, then we can benefit from effects that care about having a full party. Party is a unique take on tribal decks, as we need four different creature types to make it work. Once the party has gathered, however, Nalia will give our guests party gifts in the form of +1/+1 counters and deathtouch; sheesh, that's a toxic party.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">On top of that, she gives us the ability to look at the top card of our library and the chance to cast creatures off the top if they happen to be one of the party types. I'll be honest, Nalia doesn't seem that impressive. We could work with a counters theme since that's what she gives out, but she only does so when we have the four party members. Keep in mind that she's also a Rogue, so it'll be interesting to see if we'll even need too many additional Rogues to begin with.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Lastly, the deathtouch is okay. It'll be a good incentive for our creatures to get through, and I look forward to pairing them with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archetype of Courage" href="#" target="_blank">Archetype of Courage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to ensure they survive combat.</p>
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<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burakos, Party Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Burakos, Party Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burakos, Party Leader"></div></div>
<p style="text-align: left;">Thematically, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burakos, Party Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Burakos, Party Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is perfect to lead a party-themed deck. What makes them such a great leader is how they can fill any role that might be missing. By themselves, they can only generate one Treasure token, but this will scale as we grow our party. Only being able to make one player lose 4 life, at max, is a tad insignificant, so we'll need to rely a little more on our 99 in order to win. The Treasure production is where I think the main focus will be. We can pair Burakos with all the new Treasure synergies that we've gotten in the past few sets. Plus, if we pair them with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guild Artisan" href="#" target="_blank">Guild Artisan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we'll be accelerating our gameplan faster than any of our opponents, especially with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rain of Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Rain of Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
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<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Folk Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Folk Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Folk Hero"></div></div>
<p>And our new tribal stable is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Folk Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Folk Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. White has been gaining more and more cool ways to draw cards, and I think this one will be a solid inclusion in any tribal deck with white. I don't think the "once per turn" clause is much of a downside since we'll most likely be casting one creature per turn for most of the early-to-mid game anyway, and it's so cheap to cast, too! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burakos, Party Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Burakos, Party Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, unsurprisingly, is probably our best choice to pair with Folk Hero, given they have five creature types to take advantage of. Our other choices, that I could see at a glance, were <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ganax, Astral Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Ganax, Astral Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Renari, Merchant of Marvels" href="#" target="_blank">Renari, Merchant of Marvels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skanos Dragonheart" href="#" target="_blank">Skanos Dragonheart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; each one forms pretty unique color pairings for what would be Dragon tribal decks.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Rares</h2>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market Connections" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market Connections</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Market Connections"></div></div>
<p>New <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>??? I read this card a few times before I realized it even says "one or more"! That's an insane value at a hefty cost to our life total if we choose all three modes. In most black decks, I can see this being lose 3 life, make a Treasure, and a draw a card. The <em>Changeling</em> mode is a perfect fit in tribal decks. I like that we're seeing it here in the party deck as <em>Changelings</em> will help us meet our full party requirements, but in most cases, it'll be a way to have more Vampires... or Dragons... or Demons, etc, etc.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Doomguide" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Doomguide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Solemn Doomguide"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Doomguide" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Doomguide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is pretty narrow. It'll be another way to recur <em>Changelings</em>, but outside of tribal tribal decks, which already have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dregscape Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Dregscape Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as an option, it'll mostly see play in the respective tribes that care about it.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Gnome Terramancer" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Gnome Terramancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deep Gnome Terramancer"></div></div>
<p>I mentioned earlier that white card draw has been getting better, but holy cow, white has been getting some love in the ramp category. That being said, I think the community will see a white card that puts lands into play and call it the best ramp spell in white to ever grace the earth, and so in order to evaluate how strong <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Gnome Terramancer" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Gnome Terramancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is, I want to compare it to last year's best white ramp spell, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer&#039;s Map" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer&#039;s Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. When the <em>Strixhaven</em> precons came out, we thought this was the best it was going to get for white, but there are some notable limitations to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer&#039;s Map" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer&#039;s Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Don't get me wrong, it's still an amazing card, but we're limited on two fronts: one, we're limited by what lands we have in hand, and two, by how many lands our opponents control. I've played <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer&#039;s Map" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer&#039;s Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and after a few turns of getting it to trigger and putting me ahead, it stops working. Once we're ahead on mana, it doesn't do anything. And that's fine! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only gets one land into play and one to hand, so the fact that Archaeomancer's Map can do more than that is huge, but let's compare that to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Gnome Terramancer" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Gnome Terramancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The fact that it doesn't care if our opponents control more lands means this doesn't have a stopping point. It'll ramp us continuously and see every fetchland, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer&#039;s Map" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer&#039;s Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>I think the two limitations Terramancer does have actually stop it from being the best ramp spell in the game. It only triggers once each turn and only if our opponents put in a land onto the battlefield that wasn't played, so it doesn't trigger with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exploration" href="#" target="_blank">Exploration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, getting to tutor for any land with a Plains type just means this card will see play in just about any deck that can afford it.</p>
<hr />
<h3 class="p1"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harper Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Harper Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harper Recruiter"></div></div></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harper Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Harper Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> falls into the same niche that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Doomguide" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Doomguide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does. It's an evasive creature that has the potential to draw up to four cards, but they must be one of the four party types. One thing I find interesting about Harper Recruiter is that it only draws on attack, so if we're playing it in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nalia de&#039;Arnise" href="#" target="_blank">Nalia de&#039;Arnise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burakos, Party Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Burakos, Party Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it doesn't help us meet our full party requirement before the combat step, which feels a bit awkward given that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harper Recruiter" href="#" target="_blank">Harper Recruiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was designed with these commanders in mind.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seasoned Dungeoneer" href="#" target="_blank">Seasoned Dungeoneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seasoned Dungeoneer"></div></div>
<p>Unlike some of the other party-specific cards that we've received in this precon, I believe <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seasoned Dungeoneer" href="#" target="_blank">Seasoned Dungeoneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the most applicable to commanders outside of party or any specific tribal deck. Did you forget that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also a Cleric? Or that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alesha, Who Smiles at Death" href="#" target="_blank">Alesha, Who Smiles at Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Warrior? If any of your commanders in white happen to be a Cleric, a Rogue, a Warrior, or a Wizard, I'd highly suggest looking to see if <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seasoned Dungeoneer" href="#" target="_blank">Seasoned Dungeoneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be slotted in, especially if the commander cares about attacking. Among the top 100 commanders on EDHREC, ten happen to be one of the party types that can also run Seasoned Dungeoneer. Not all of them should, but decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist" href="#" target="_blank">Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh" href="#" target="_blank">Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will welcome the chance to make Rograkh unblockable, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sefris of the Hidden Ways" href="#" target="_blank">Sefris of the Hidden Ways</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks will be happy to see a powerful card that'll help them complete more dungeons.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stick Together" href="#" target="_blank">Stick Together</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stick Together"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stick Together" href="#" target="_blank">Stick Together</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a possible one-sided <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tragic Arrogance" href="#" target="_blank">Tragic Arrogance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even if we don't have any of those creature types, this is just a five-mana sorcery that makes everyone sacrifice their creatures, and what makes it better than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="By Invitation Only" href="#" target="_blank">By Invitation Only</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the chance that we'll have creatures that can survive through it. Similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seasoned Dungeoneer" href="#" target="_blank">Seasoned Dungeoneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, if your commander happens to be one of the party types, this could be a great board wipe that keeps your commander around and wipes away everything else. Any creatures you happen to control with party types will be a bonus, but unfortunately, that can also be true for your opponents. While there are better options, I'm glad we're seeing new one-sided boardwipes that work with more specific commanders.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Multiclass Baldric" href="#" target="_blank">Multiclass Baldric</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Multiclass Baldric"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Multiclass Baldric" href="#" target="_blank">Multiclass Baldric</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fairly cheap Equipment that can either do nothing at all or be an effective tool for protecting your key creature, and it's busted with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burakos, Party Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Burakos, Party Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, turning them into a keyword soup creature. We'll still need three other creatures to trigger the full party ability, but that won't be hard to do in a party deck. Outside of this precon, however, I don't see it popping up in many decks. If there's one specific keyword we care about for a commander, there'll probably be better options. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cliffhaven Kitesail" href="#" target="_blank">Cliffhaven Kitesail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a better fit if we care about the evasion and it's even able to cheat the equip cost, so unless you're including a ton of creatures from this new set that incidentally have party types, it's unlikely you'll want this Equipment for just one keyword.</p>
<hr />
<h2>This Party's Coming to a Close</h2>
<p>I think this precon is solid, from incredible new cards to some impressive reprints. It appears that the deck has an aristocrat subtheme, which I'm digging with all this focus on the combat step. It's well-rounded without being broken in any way.</p>
<p>Which precon are you picking up from this set? Do you think the party mechanic is becoming a stronger archetype in commander, or does it still lack in power? Let me know in the comments!</p>


orzhov