<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CharlesUrbachArt">Charles Urbach</a></h6>
<h1>That's a Big Rock</h1>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Singleton Shmingleton</em>, where I bend the singleton rules of Commander by building decks with as many functional reprints of a certain card as possible. This week we're taking on one of the old guards of the format, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There was once a time when you could find this rock in every unsleeved Commander deck, and I've probably tapped it for a hundred mana over the years.</p>
<p>Except maybe I haven't? Looking through my cards, I don't even own a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I think my friends were probably playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Ingot" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Ingot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boros Cluestone" href="#" target="_blank">Boros Cluestone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is a sign that this is a perfect card for this series. It's an iconic card, one of the first ones I think of when I think of Commander, and yet I can't even tell it and its functional reprints apart. This is going to be fun.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manalith"></div></div>
<p>But first I have to ask: why do stone pillars produce mana? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a pun, but it hearkens back to earlier obelisks, the first being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basalt Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Basalt Monolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There's no explanation for why this mound of igneous rock makes so much mana, nor why you have to pay to untap it. Maybe you store your mana in the rock somehow? This design was repeated in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Monolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is the same idea, but I guess grim because the costs aren't balanced? You get more than you store once, but then you have to pay extra later. And it has scary art. Very grim.</p>
<p>Anyways, there are a <em>lot</em> of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variants. Here's a list:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Manaliths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="*1 Altar of the Pantheon
*1 Bonder&#039;s Ornament
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Coalition Relic
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Cryptolith Fragment
*1 Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*1 Darksteel Ingot
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Elementalist&#039;s Palette
*1 Fountain of Ichor
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Honored Heirloom
*1 Lantern of Revealing
*1 Letter of Acceptance
*1 Mana Geode
*1 Manalith
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Patriar&#039;s Seal
*1 Phyrexian Atlas
*1 Relic of Legends
*1 Replicating Ring
*1 Skyclave Relic
*1 Spectral Searchlight
*1 Spinning Wheel
*1 The Celestus
*1 Ticket Turbotubes
*1 Vessel of Endless Rest
*1 Vexing Puzzlebox"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Wanna See My Rock Collection?</h2>
<p>Most of these have minor upsides, often in the form of a second activated ability or a free bonus somewhere. Before you fight me, I know that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heraldic Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Heraldic Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptolith Fragment" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptolith Fragment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are not pure <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, as the former commits you to one color and the latter makes you lose life, but they're close enough. Also, isn't it weird that out of these thirty cards, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vessel of Endless Rest" href="#" target="_blank">two</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Decanter of Endless Water" href="#" target="_blank">them</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> follow the naming format "[Noun] of Endless [Noun]"?</p>
<p>The two most-played <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, by an enormous margin, are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander&#039;s Sphere" href="#" target="_blank">Commander&#039;s Sphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, at 399,900 decks, followed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, at 206,935 decks. These two are staples, they've each seen multiple reprints, and have each appeared in preconstructed decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> itself slots into 9,586 decks, which puts it at twentieth out of these thirty rocks. That's pretty darn respectable, considering that all the cards it's beating out are strictly better! The least played of these rocks is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ticket Turbotubes" href="#" target="_blank">Ticket Turbotubes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which only makes the cut in 304 decks. It's recent, its upside does nothing without support, and many people don't want Un-set cards in their games. Makes sense.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander&#039;s Sphere"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromatic Lantern"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ticket Turbotubes"></div></div>
<p>But I don't know if thirty rocks is enough. If we want to expand our definition to any three-mana artifact that makes one mana, here're a few more of my favorites:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="More Manaliths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="*1 Honor-Worn Shaku
*1 Orazca Relic
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Seer&#039;s Lantern
*1 Serum Powder
*1 Strixhaven Stadium
*1 Unstable Obelisk"></span></div>

<hr />
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pristine Talisman" href="#" target="_blank">Pristine Talisman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just feels so good. I've put it in way too many decks because that free life gain is more fun than winning, and 34,137 people appear to agree with me. Also, more people should play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Powder" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Powder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I know the free mulligan is less useful in multiplayer, where you already get a free mulligan, but if your deck is built around finding one of a select few cards in your deck, this effect is still very useful. I'm not saying it should be a staple, but more than the 649 decks it currently has would be happy with the extra consistency.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Who Will Lead This Army of Stones?</h2>
<p>Usually I build a deck and then choose a general to lead it, but this time there was only ever one choice. There's only one legend with the word Manalith on it, after all.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Svella, Ice Shaper"></div></div>
<p>The womanalith herself! Svella is perfect for this deck. She provides her own rocks if we ever run out, and she acts as a mana sink later on, and we <em>need</em> mana sinks, because this deck has over 40 mana rocks. In fact, there's very little room for anything else. Well, we can't let <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> second ability go to waste, can we? We'll have to add in some ramp payoffs.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artisan of Kozilek"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pathrazer of Ulamog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triplicate Titan"></div></div>
<p>Oh yeah, these cards are so big. I filled out the rest of the deck with some of my favorite baddies. I didn't include any of the Eldrazi Titans, but only because I like the less-played Eldrazi better. You can put in whatever top end you want, since we sacrificed power for theme long ago. My only rule for myself was to make every payoff cost eight or more; otherwise we wouldn't be cheating on cost with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ability!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Manalith Math</h2>
<p>One of the reasons three-mana rocks are so much less desirable than two-mana rocks is that their sequencing is clunkier. If you play an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on turn two, then on turn three you have four mana, which you can tap for two more two-mana rocks, which you can tap for another two-mana rocks. With a hand full of three-mana rocks, the inefficiency multiplies when we try to sequence them. On turn three we get a rock, then on turn four we can play another and tap both and our fourth land to play a third. That's three rocks on turn four instead of four on turn three.</p>
<p>Unless we draw <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we won't be able to activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> second ability until at least turn six, and even then it has a 47% chance of not hitting a big creature payoff. Our consolation prize is that we will almost always (85%) hit another <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so at least we won't have to regret using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> second ability rather than her first.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fountain of Ichor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spinning Wheel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Honored Heirloom"></div></div>
<p>Another fun part of the deck is that the abilities tacked onto our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s do come up. If we don't have anything going on, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fountain of Ichor" href="#" target="_blank">Fountain of Ichor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can block just fine, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bonder&#039;s Ornament" href="#" target="_blank">Bonder&#039;s Ornament</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can draw into action. We can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spinning Wheel" href="#" target="_blank">Spinning Wheel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> almost as removal, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Honored Heirloom" href="#" target="_blank">Honored Heirloom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to annoy graveyard decks. This is a perfect deck to showcase these overcosted abilities since we're running almost exclusively ramp! Filling the deck with air really brings out the subtler aromas.</p>
<hr />
<h2>A Couple of Card Spotlights</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Metalwork Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Metalwork Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is so good in this deck. With three <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s out it costs two, and with four or more it's free. It can keep coming back if we run out of gas, and it's simply huge. It's worth remembering that the Icy Manalith tokens that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes have a mana value of zero even though they cost three to make, so there's no discount there.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Metalwork Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seedborn Muse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Great Aurora"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> untaps <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and all of our rocks every turn. If we have three mana rocks, we can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Svella, Ice Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Svella&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> first ability every turn, which will quickly ramp us into using her second ability every turn instead.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Aurora" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Aurora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is perfect in this deck because we have a mix of small replaceable permanents and big payoffs. If we have no creatures out, we can cast this and not have to worry about downgrading any of our stuff. We're also running almost only permanents (you could turn this into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Surge" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Surge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck easily if that's your jam), so we'll get to dump more of our hand than most other decks.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Svella and her Manaliths" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Svella, Ice Shaper
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Altar of the Pantheon
*1 Basalt Monolith
*1 Battlemage&#039;s Bracers
*1 Bonder&#039;s Ornament
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Coalition Relic
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Cryptolith Fragment
*1 Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*1 Darksteel Ingot
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Firewild Borderpost
*1 Fountain of Ichor
*1 Glittering Stockpile
*1 Gruul Keyrune
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Honor-Worn Shaku
*1 Honored Heirloom
*1 Illusionist&#039;s Bracers
*1 Lantern of Revealing
*1 Letter of Acceptance
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mana Geode
*1 Manalith
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Orazca Relic
*1 Patriar&#039;s Seal
*1 Phyrexian Atlas
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Relic of Legends
*1 Replicating Ring
*1 Seer&#039;s Lantern
*1 Serum Powder
*1 Skyclave Relic
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Spectral Searchlight
*1 Spinning Wheel
*1 Strixhaven Stadium
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 The Celestus
*1 Ticket Turbotubes
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Vessel of Endless Rest
*1 Vexing Puzzlebox
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Apex Devastator
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Darksteel Colossus
*1 Desolation Twin
*1 It That Betrays
*1 Metalwork Colossus
*1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
*1 Seedborn Muse
*1 Spawnsire of Ulamog
*1 Terastodon
*1 Triplicate Titan
*1 Verdant Force
*1 Void Winnower
*1 Woodfall Primus
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 The Great Aurora
[/Sorceries]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Blighted Woodland
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*14 Forest
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Highland Forest
*12 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Rugged Highlands
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Temple of Abandon
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Until Next Time</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Savannah Lions"></div></div>
<p>I hope you enjoyed this truly classic battlecruiser deck. Next time I'll be going lower to the ground with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the headliner of <em>Magic</em>'s original aggro deck. Let's see if a stack of them can hold up against three opponents and 120 life!</p>


pathrazer of ulamog

Singleton Shmingleton - Manalith

Ranking Every Battlecruiser Card (8 CMC+) with EDHREC – Part 27: Rise of the Eldrazi