<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/fajareka" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fajareka Setiawan</a></em></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/is-paradigm-a-fixed-version-of-epic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Epic</a> has got to be one of the most fun mechanics to build around, forcing us to create a deck that doesn't cast a single spell once we've resolved <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eternal Dominion" href="#" target="_blank">Eternal Dominion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's insanely cool and a feat to pull off, but um, not super fun or good. That's where paradigm comes in.</p>
<p>It's essentially the same thing as epic, but we're allowed to cast spells, and the effect is a little cheaper and less game ending. Today we're talking about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the blue member of the paradigm cycle, that creates a token copy of a creature on each of our turns.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Echocasting Symposium"></div></div>
<p>It's a pretty open ended card, so I'm quite excited to see what we can do with it.</p>
<h2>The Jankiest Way To Use Echocasting Symposium</h2>
<p>Okay, hear me out. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes a ton of copies of itself, which is obviously very strong, but what if we made so many copies that it just became overwhelming and confusing?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prismari, the Inspiration"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prismari, the Inspiration" href="#" target="_blank">Prismari, the Inspiration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives all instants and sorceries that we cast storm, and yes, paradigm casts the spell. Unfortunately because of the mechanic's wording, we can't get multiple instances of paradigm, but when we cast Symposium at the beginning of the first main phase, the spell will get storm. And if we can get a nonlegendary copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prismari, the Inspiration" href="#" target="_blank">Prismari, the Inspiration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Irenicus&#039;s Vile Duplication" href="#" target="_blank">Irenicus&#039;s Vile Duplication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then we can start duplicating Prismari and getting multiple instances of storm.</p>
<p>On the first turn, let's say we have Prismari and a duplicate. Maybe we cast a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> during our upkeep. Paradigm casts a copy of Symposium, which already gets two instances of storm. So it copies itself twice, and we choose to make three more copies of the nonlegendary Prismari. Next turn, we've got five Prismaris on board, meaning we get six copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> if we've cast a spell before then.</p>
<p>Let's not even talk about if we can resolve two spells in our upkeep! This is quite janky enough.</p>
<h2>The Most Evil Thing To Do With Echocasting Symposium</h2>
<p>One of the first things I noted about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is that it says "target player," not "you." Immediately it's obvious that we can give our opponents some terrible creatures, and I think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eater of Days" href="#" target="_blank">Eater of Days</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is by far the worst.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eater of Days"></div></div>
<p>Assuming we can avoid the cost of getting it onto our board, we can then start distributing it among our opponents. Since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eater of Days" href="#" target="_blank">Eater of Days</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> skips the next two turns of whoever's board it enters, we can alternate between two of our three opponents, and completely cut them out of the game.</p>
<p>This is so much worse than just killing them, because even though they can't play, the game's still going, and they're still technically there. At any point, the third opponent could find a way to remove <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eater of Days" href="#" target="_blank">Eater of Days</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and end the combo. You never know!</p>
<p>Heck, we can even give our opponents a single turn just for the fun of it, and give them a slight glimmer of hope. Will they draw that removal? Will they free themselves? Not if we've got a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in hand. But I'd be amazed if the game didn't end by forfeit the second we started skipping turns, because this is honestly the most cruel game plan I've ever seen.</p>
<h2>The Best Combo With Echocasting Symposium</h2>
<p>But we can also do the opposite of skipping our opponents' turns by giving ourselves infinite extra turns and actually winning the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Timestream Navigator"></div></div>
<p>Unsurprisingly, it's easy to do. With a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Timestream Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Timestream Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the board, we just have to make a copy and send that token to the bottom of our deck, giving us an extra turn for four mana, every turn.</p>
<p>It's so absurdly simple that I had to double check if it actually worked that way. But as far as I can tell it's a flawless combo. Of course, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Timestream Navigator" href="#" target="_blank">Timestream Navigator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/search/?q=timestream%20navi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">combos with practically anything</a>, so this is nothing new.</p>
<h2>The Most Competitive Deck for Echocasting Symposium</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is pretty versatile, and finding the objectively best deck for it is impossible. There are just too many good options. But we do have a few criteria. We want a deck that has powerful, nonlegendary, game-winning creatures, plus a lot of mana. Gee, I wonder what color combo that sounds like.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy"></div></div>
<p>Ultimately, I think the clear answer is <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>. That deck is all about creating mana with creatures to cast bigger creatures. It's a library that runs a million busted targets that Kinnan fetches himself, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hullbreaker Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hullbreaker Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the mana base will have no problem casting Symposium.</p>
<p>Yes, Echocasting Symposium might only be making a strong deck stronger, but this is absolutely where it belongs.</p>
<h2>The Worst Deck for Echocasting Symposium</h2>
<p>This one's always a tough category. What deck can I find that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> genuinely makes worse? It's such a strong card, so how could it be detrimental? Well, the whole idea is that it recasts itself on each of our turns, but what if we had a deck that specifically wanted to play less spells? Like, for instance, a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/hatebears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hatebears</a> deck running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deafening Silence" href="#" target="_blank">Deafening Silence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deafening Silence"></div></div>
<p>If we play Echocasting Symposium on our turn, our own enchantment will lock us out of playing anything else. Of course, we can simply choose to not cast it, because that is indeed a may ability. I don't think I can find a deck where the card is genuinely bad, but I'll call this close enough.</p>
<h2>(Bonus) My Personal Favorite Way To Play Echocasting Symposium</h2>
<p>While my first instinct was to use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eater of Days" href="#" target="_blank">Eater of Days</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I do actually have a sliver of good in me, and I also considered the possibility of putting this card in a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/group-hug" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Group Hug</a> deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ms. Bumbleflower"></div></div>
<p>Think about the political implications! Our opponents will be all be begging for that copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kwain, Itinerant Meddler" href="#" target="_blank">Kwain, Itinerant Meddler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flumph" href="#" target="_blank">Flumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Imagine what the board would look like with four or five <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Humble Defector" href="#" target="_blank">Humble Defector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s being traded around! We might as well put on a Santa Claus hat.</p>
<p>Is this a good way to win the game? No, but I guarantee it'll be over the top and a ton of fun.</p>
<p>Wow, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do a lot. It allows for some crazy lines, overpowered interactions, and game ending combos, but it also fits into a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/group-hug" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Group Hug</a> deck. How many cards can you say that about?</p>
<p>I'm a pretty big fan of this card. I'm certain I've only scratched the surface with it, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what y'all can do with the paradigm mechanic. Got a cool build? Let me know in the comments!</p>


paradigm commander

Five Different Ways To Use Echocasting Symposium