<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Michelangelo, the Heart" href="#" target="_blank">Michelangelo, the Heart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/nezt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Néstor Ossandón Leal</a></em></p>
<p>Hi, I'm <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/michael-celani" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Celani</a>, and I think typed partners are stupid. Let me explain.</p>
<p>Recently, <em>Secret Lair x PlayStation </em>introduced <em>typed partner sets</em> to <em>Magic</em>, which is a mechanical update to to the partner keyword that lets the designers enforce more granular restrictions on which legendary creatures can share the command zone. Now, you may designate up to two legendary creatures with partner as your commanders <em>as long as</em> each you've selected share the same partner designator.<span id='easy-footnote-1-166993' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https://edhrec.com/articles/no-typed-partners-are-not-good-for-commander/#easy-footnote-bottom-1-166993' title='Commanders printed before this update and lacking a partner designator in their rules text still share their own typed partner set; it&#039;s just the unnamed, original, and largest one.'><sup>1</sup></a></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joel, Resolute Survivor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atreus, Impulsive Son"></div></div>
<p>As an example, the characters from <em>The Last of Us </em>are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joel, Resolute Survivor" href="#" target="_blank">Survivors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and thus can only partner up with other characters from <em>The Last of Us</em>, while the two characters from the <em>God of War</em> Secret Lair are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atreus, Impulsive Son" href="#" target="_blank">Father &amp; son</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and can only partner up with each other.</p>
<p>You can't mix the two groups up, no matter how badly you want to canonize your fanfiction.</p>
<h2>What's Old is New Again</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wernog, Rider&#039;s Chaplain"></div></div>
<p>On the surface, this is a smart, precise change that allows Wizards to manage subsets of legal commander pairings without having to nanny the Comprehensive Rules. In practical gameplay terms, this update means <em>nothing</em>. <em>Magic</em>'s done typed partner sets for <em>years;</em> it's just that, until now, they've always been called something else. They've never <em>truly</em> been the real deal.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wernog, Rider&#039;s Chaplain|SLD|347" href="#" target="_blank">Friends forever</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is to civil unions as partner is to marriage, which is why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma, Vision of Ixidor" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is confirmed the most homophobic commander.</p>
<p>Sure, there have been slight mechanical quibbles in the past that might have <em>in theory</em> warranted new keywords, but <em>all</em> of them amounted to solving the problem of enabling legal commander pairings from among two <em>disjointed </em>sets of cards — whether that be choosing a Background or finding the doctor a companion.<span id='easy-footnote-2-166993' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https://edhrec.com/articles/no-typed-partners-are-not-good-for-commander/#easy-footnote-bottom-2-166993' title='&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: 12pt;&quot;&gt;I don&#039;t even think that hurdle would be insurmountable with a more specific implementation of partner typing. It&#039;s just finding the right way to represent it on the card that&#039;s tricky.'><sup>2</sup></a></span></span></p>
<p>Even partner <em>with</em> is an example of typed partner sets; there may only be two options available, but a small set is still a set, dammit.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Where They Came From</h2>
<p>But why bother restricting partners in this manner at all? Well, it all starts back at the beginning, with a little set called <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/c16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander 2016</a>.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reyhan, Last of the Abzan"></div></div>
<p><em>Commander 2016 </em>hit the shelves running with a series of five unique face commanders: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder" href="#" target="_blank">Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saskia the Unyielding" href="#" target="_blank">Saskia the Unyielding</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis" href="#" target="_blank">Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breya, Etherium Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Breya, Etherium Shaper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>At this point in time, four-color commander decks weren't just rare, they were <em>impossible</em> to build. There simply weren't any legendary creatures in the game that had <em>almost</em> every color available to them; they all either capped out at three colors or pushed for the full five.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kraum, Ludevic&#039;s Opus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker"></div></div>
<p>The problem with introducing four-color legendary creatures in a commander set is that Commander decks have backup commanders, and creating <em>two </em>such cards with strangely specific color identities per deck <em>without</em> making them feel similar to one another is difficult.</p>
<p>Instead, Wizards created the original partners. They were all two colors, so you could mix and match them to create a variety of color identities.</p>
<p>This decision is notable for being exclusively maligned.</p>
<h2>Why the Original Partners Were Busted</h2>
<p>It's easy to point to the partner mechanic itself as a problem, and when it came to the <em>Commander 2016</em> set, that's what people did. You could start a game with eight cards! You could build almost any color identity you want! Four-color generic good-stuff decks abound!</p>
<p>These reasons all contribute, sure, but they're a scapegoat distracting from the true issue. No, the actual problem with the original partners was that all of them were too powerful on the face of it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrasios, Triton Hero"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tymna the Weaver"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrasios, Triton Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Thrasios, Triton Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is absurdly busted on its own, to the point that the fact that you could add a <em>second</em> commander to your deck almost doesn't matter. A simple test to apply to these original partners is: "If they didn't have partner, would they still be playable as a standalone general?" If the answer is yes, it probably shouldn't have partner, and <em>far</em> too many of the original fifteen fail this test.</p>
<p>In fact, for Thrasios in particular, Wizards tried that: version 2.0 is named <a href="https://commandersherald.com/breaking-new-simic-commander-lets-you-draw-a-card-and-play-an-extra-land/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><del>literally all of Simic</del></a> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gretchen Titchwillow" href="#" target="_blank">Gretchen Titchwillow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even <em>after</em> removing partner they <em>still</em> found the need to nerf the activated ability by adding color requirements.</p>
<hr />
<h2>A Problem That Didn't Exist</h2>
<p>Wizards overcorrected for the partner problem in the wrong way multiple times. First, by simply not touching the damn thing. They didn't revisit partner until 2018. When they did, their second mistake was that partner with limited commanders to specific pairs instead of adding to the general population, and I <em>hate </em>this decision.<span id='easy-footnote-3-166993' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https://edhrec.com/articles/no-typed-partners-are-not-good-for-commander/#easy-footnote-bottom-3-166993' title='You might argue that partner with was actually designed as a limited mechanic for Battlebond, since playing one searches up the other from a target player&#039;s deck. This is true, but if they didn&#039;t want it to affect Commander, they could have named the mechanic something literally anything other than partner with and locked them out from sharing the command zone.'><sup>3</sup></a></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gorm the Great"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtus the Veiled"></div></div>
<p>Just like how people blamed partner for the power of the <em>Commander 2016</em> commanders, people praised partner with for the benign nature of the <em>Battlebond </em>commanders (and all subsequent partner with commanders since). The <em>actual</em> reason they work is that Wizards, in general, intentionally made the partner with commanders less powerful to compensate for the additional card in the command zone.</p>
<p>Frankly, that's what they <em>should have</em> done in the first place.<span id='easy-footnote-4-166993' class='easy-footnote-margin-adjust'></span><span class='easy-footnote'><a href='https://edhrec.com/articles/no-typed-partners-are-not-good-for-commander/#easy-footnote-bottom-4-166993' title='This is actually the problem with eminence, too. If they provided simpler benefits, or a sidegrade to regular play instead of straight buffs, it would have been fine.'><sup>4</sup></a></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alisaie Leveilleur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alphinaud Leveilleur"></div></div>
<p>Take a look at <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=o%3A%22partner+with%22+is%3Acommander&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all of the partner with commanders</a> printed since <em>Battlebond</em>. How many of them become a bigger issue than they already are if they were added into the general partner population? By my count, only three: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pako, Arcane Retriever" href="#" target="_blank">Pako</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will Kenrith" href="#" target="_blank">Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ukkima, Stalking Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Ukkima</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Many of these commanders could have been released into the general partner population with no problems whatsoever. You're just taking away customization for no real reason.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Way Forward</h2>
<p>So why does this matter? I think Wizards should seriously consider using fewer typed partner sets going forward. They have their place, sure, but limiting player choice in this way doesn't <em>have</em> to be a safety valve they install every single time.</p>
<p>Be more adventurous with the original partner group! The context of each release should naturally guide casual players to the intended partner pairings, while allowing more experienced players to experiment with their own builds. As evidence, consider that Wizards eventually revisited the original partner mechanic in <em>Commander Legends</em> and added tons of new commanders to be used alongside the original <em>Commander 2016</em> designs — and, a few misfires aside, it was fine.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krark, the Thumbless"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama of the East Tree"></div></div>
<p>Partner can be a fun way to create unique decks with fun play patterns. Simply keep the power level low in each individual commander. Even if you accidentally slip up and create a two-card combo in the command zone, players can solve that problem with social interaction and <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Bracket system</a>.</p>
<p>If I don't get to play SpongeBob alongside <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Owen Grady, Raptor Trainer" href="#" target="_blank">Owen Grady, Raptor Trainer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the near future, I will be very sad.</p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
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<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;A New Way to Voltron, With Nikara and Yannik&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/a-new-way-to-voltron-with-nikara-and-yannik/embed/#?secret=RBRT1vAXRC#?secret=iaeY3fk7sP" data-secret="iaeY3fk7sP" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


No, Typed Partners Are Not Good For Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joel, Resolute Survivor" href="#" target="_blank">Joel, Resolute Survivor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by </em><a href="https://indusconcept.com/?ckattempt=1"><em>Yongjae Choi</em></a></p>
<p>The recent <em>Secret Lair x The Last of Us</em> reveals introduced a plethora of legends that can partner with one another. Ordinarily, I'm a really big fan of unique partner combinations. I love brewing weird decks with my beloved <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools" href="#" target="_blank">Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, I'm taking one of these new commanders and having him fly solo. In this deck tech, I'm going to take <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joel, Resolute Survivor" href="#" target="_blank">Joel, Resolute Survivor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and see how he fares on his own.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joel, Resolute Survivor"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Joel, Resolute Survivor Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joel, Resolute Survivor" href="#" target="_blank">Joel, Resolute Survivor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is five-mana 4/4 with menace. Once per turn, whenever a token creature his owner controls dies, Joel gets a +1/+1 counter and draws a card. He also partners with other Survivors, although I won't be taking advantage of that here.</p>
<p>Joel is very clearly designed to lead an aristocrats deck. He's looking to make tokens and sacrifice them, preferably at instant speed, to draw four cards and get four counters each turn cycle. The big questions a deckbuilder has to answer to build Joel is simple: "What kind of tokens am I making and how am I sacrificing them?" In my case, those two questions have the same answer. Meet my two favorite tokens.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eldrazi Spawn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eldrazi Scion"></div></div>
<p>Eldrazi Spawn and Scion tokens are perfect! They sacrifice themselves, no outside help from sacrifice outlets like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carrion Feeder" href="#" target="_blank">Carrion Feeder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viscera Seer" href="#" target="_blank">Viscera Seer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> required! There aren't quite enough repeatable ways to create these tokens for me to get away with them being the only tokens this deck makes, but they certainly will be the centerpiece.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Joel, Resolute Survivor</h2>
<h3>Making Spawns and Scions</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="From Beyond"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Awakening Zone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spawnbed Protector"></div></div>
<p>The best ways to create Eldrazi Spawns and Scions are the repeatable ones. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="From Beyond" href="#" target="_blank">From Beyond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Awakening Zone" href="#" target="_blank">Awakening Zone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spawnbed Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Spawnbed Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all generate one token per turn. From Beyond doubles as a tutor that can find one of the most important pieces in the deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basking Broodscale" href="#" target="_blank">Basking Broodscale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I'll go more in depth on <em>Magic</em>'s best Lizard in the win conditions section.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malevolent Rumble"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blisterpod"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warping Wail"></div></div>
<p>There are also a lot of one-off ways to make Eldrazi Spawn or Scion tokens. Spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malevolent Rumble" href="#" target="_blank">Malevolent Rumble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warping Wail" href="#" target="_blank">Warping Wail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Growth Spasm" href="#" target="_blank">Growth Spasm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are perfectly normal functional cards that wouldn't feel out of place in other decks; it just so happens that they are all capable of producing valuable tokens! Functional cards that also contribute to "doing the thing" are my favorite for cultivating a unique feeling for a deck, and <em>Battle for Zendikar</em> contributed a lot of cards to make that happen here.</p>
<h3>Other Tokens</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Springheart Nantuko"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chatterfang, Squirrel General"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tendershoot Dryad"></div></div>
<p>Sadly, for this deck to get the job done it will need to make a few tokens that aren't Eldrazi Spawns or Scions. However, all the other token-generators I've included are pretty sweet. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Springheart Nantuko" href="#" target="_blank">Springheart Nantuko</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can make token copies of any creature, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chatterfang, Squirrel General" href="#" target="_blank">Chatterfang, Squirrel General</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sends in Squirrels any time another token would be created, and Tendershoot Dryad provides four <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saproling" href="#" target="_blank">Saproling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s per turn cycle! To support these inferior tokens, sacrifice outlets like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viscera Seer" href="#" target="_blank">Viscera Seer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carrion Feeder" href="#" target="_blank">Carrion Feeder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have been included since they can't sacrifice themselves.</p>
<h2>How Does This Joel, Resolute Survivor Deck Win the Game?</h2>
<h3>Broodscale Combos</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Basking Broodscale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sadistic Glee"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blade of the Bloodchief"></div></div>
<div id="2082-5641" 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="2082-5641" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/embed.js?v=1&uses=%5B%22Basking%20Broodscale%22%2C%22Sadistic%20Glee%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%20colorless%20mana%22%2C%22Infinite%20%2B1%2F%2B1%20counters%20on%20Basking%20Broodscale%22%5D&id=2082-5641&color=BG&extraRequirementCount=0"></script></div>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basking Broodscale" href="#" target="_blank">Basking Broodscale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combos ran rampant in Pauper until my poor Lizard finally saw a ban; there, it was played alongside <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sadistic Glee" href="#" target="_blank">Sadistic Glee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to make infinite colorless mana and an infinitely large Broodscale. In Modern, the same combo is being performed with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of the Bloodchief" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of the Bloodchief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Unfortunately, in Commander, one infinitely large creature doesn't actually win the game on the spot. However, when paired with a drain effect, 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> or <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>, this combo can kill the table! I wouldn't classify this deck as an all-in Broodscale combo deck, but it is certainly the most reliable way this deck can close out a game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dictate of Erebos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Privilege"></div></div>
<p>One perk of having a big, evasive commander is that it always provides a potential win condition in the command zone! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Privilege" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Privilege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be used to keep Joel alive and attacking as his +1/+1 counters stack up, providing a pretty good source of inevitability. Paired with a removal engine, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it should be very easy to keep opposing boards clear enough to get in the red zone with Joel each turn. It isn't fast and it isn't pretty, but it is a solid win condition to back up the deck's other combos.</p>
<h2>Joel, Resolute Survivor Commander Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Joel" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Joel, Resolute Survivor
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Arbor Elf
*1 Basking Broodscale
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Blisterpod
*1 Carrion Feeder
*1 Chatterfang, Squirrel General
*1 Chittering Dispatcher
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Dread Drone
*1 Eldrazi Repurposer
*1 Elves of Deep Shadow
*1 Fauna Shaman
*1 Glaring Fleshraker
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Mycoloth
*1 Nest Invader
*1 Ophiomancer
*1 Scute Swarm
*1 Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER
*1 Smothering Abomination
*1 Spawnbed Protector
*1 Springheart Nantuko
*1 Tendershoot Dryad
*1 Vengeful Bloodwitch
*1 Viscera Seer
*1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
*1 Zulaport Cutthroat
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bala Ged Recovery
*1 Eaten Alive
*1 Green Sun&#039;s Zenith
*1 Growth Spasm
*1 Malevolent Rumble
*1 Reanimate
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Awakening Zone
*1 Dark Privilege
*1 Dictate of Erebos
*1 Doubling Season
*1 Earthcraft
*1 From Beyond
*1 Innkeeper&#039;s Talent
*1 Necrosynthesis
*1 Parallel Lives
*1 Sadistic Glee
*1 Squirrel Nest
*1 Utopia Sprawl
*1 Wild Growth
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Arachnogenesis
*1 Chord of Calling
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Fell the Profane
*1 Flare of Malice
*1 Grave Birthing
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Revitalizing Repast
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Safekeeping
*1 Warping Wail
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Blade of the Bloodchief
*1 Ghost Lantern
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Tarrian&#039;s Soulcleaver
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Blooming Marsh
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Command Tower
*6 Forest
*1 Grim Backwoods
*1 High Market
*1 Llanowar Wastes
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Shifting Woodland
*1 Spawning Bed
*1 Strip Mine
*3 Swamp
*1 Twilight Mire
*1 Underground Mortuary
*1 Undergrowth Stadium
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Vernal Fen
*1 Wastewood Verge
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Finding a good bracket classification for this build of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joel, Resolute Survivor" href="#" target="_blank">Joel, Resolute Survivor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is something I've been grappling with for a little while now. Obviously, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basking Broodscale" href="#" target="_blank">Basking Broodscale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sadistic Glee" href="#" target="_blank">Sadistic Glee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of the Bloodchief" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of the Bloodchief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>is</em> a two-card infinite combo. However, without a third piece, that combo doesn't exactly win the game or even do anything too productive. Additionally, this deck uses zero Game Changers and doesn't exactly have the most robust suite of tutors to make a game winning combo happen in the early turns without an extraordinarily fortunate opening hand. For that reason, I'd feel comfortable playing this deck at a Bracket 3 (Upgraded) table as long as I've cleared it with the table.</p>
<p>This issue really gets at the heart of how I apply the bracket system to my deckbuilding, though. I tend to put together my deck the way I want it, then try and figure out where it sits in the system rather than picking a bracket and going out of my way to fit within that bracket's guidelines. This works for me in particular because I have a regular playgroup and don't often have to negotiate what kind of game I'd like to play with people that are unfamiliar with me or with how I tend to play <em>Magic</em>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basking Broodscale" href="#" target="_blank">Basking Broodscale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was the first card that popped into my head when I read Joel and I started with a higher-power build with more tutors and additional related combos. That build was more focused but significantly less fun to play. In the end, I scrapped that version and went with something that felt a little more satisfying. If someone else were to build this deck, I could make a reasonable case for either powering it up or down for the types of tables they play at.</p>
<p>Overall, I'm really excited about where I ended up with this deck and I'm looking forward to refining this idea once I have a paper copy of Joel to terrorize my friends with!</p>


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