<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mr. House, President and CEO" href="#" target="_blank">Mr. House, President and CEO</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Illustrated by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJoseph+Meehan%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Joseph Meehan</a></h6>
<hr />
<h1>I HAVE SOME NEWS</h1>
<p>Before we move ahead with the latest <em>Am I The Bolas? </em>article you're here for, I have some news.</p>
<p>You may have noticed that a couple of weeks ago, <em>AITB</em> was on Commander's Herald and EDHREC on the same day.</p>
<p>That's because <em>Am I The Bolas? </em>is moving to EDHREC from now on! In fact, that was supposed to be the day we made the announcement, but this one is the official real deal.</p>
<p>Commander's Herald will always be the site that took a chance on a little ding dong from Canada and allowed me to give you my takes on stories every week.</p>
<p>I hope you continue to support Commander's Herald and you follow me over here at EDHREC to keep reading.</p>
<p>This does mean that the archives of <a href="https://commandersherald.com/author/mike-carrozza/">past articles are over on Commander's Herald</a>, and things will look a little sparse for me over at EDHREC, but with time, that'll grow, and the folks who enthusiastically write in, discovering the column will still have a way to dive into the back catalogue, too.</p>
<p>I appreciate you all. Thank you so much. Let's get into it!</p>
<hr />
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>Am I the Bolas</em>?</p>
<p>This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some <em>Magic </em>and wondered if you were the bad guy.</p>
<p>I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"</p>
<p>I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column!</p>
<p>You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a></p>
<p>I'm Mike Carrozza, aka Mark Carbonza, and it's time to say welcome to the team full time, Mikey!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warm Welcome"></div></div>
<p><em>I promise to make less fart jokes (I made a lot, and "less" means still making some here and there).</em></p>
<p>This week, the house has spoken.</p>
<p>(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)</p>
<hr />
<h2>HELLO, MIKE</h2>
<div dir="auto">
<p><em>Hello,</em></p>
<p><em>I have joined a Commander playgroup, rounding out the group of four, being invited by a friend from work. While I've known the work friend for several years before joining, the three have been friends since high school. We are all now in our mid-to-late 30s to give you an idea of how long I'm talking.</em></p>
<p><em>The group has been super welcoming and a great time. The elephant in the room is that I played </em>Magic<em> in middle school, a few times in Arena, and a couple of times during Christmas at work with the friend coworker. They have all been playing for nearly two decades.</em></p>
<p><em>Again, the group has treated me well, pointing me to helpful precons, giving me leniency in games, and also treating me as the threat when warranted.</em></p>
<p><em>Getting to the meat of things: </em><em>the group has some house-banned commanders from some tense spats in the past. One of these commanders fits me like a glove in terms of playstyle, color arrangement, and even just creature theme and art.</em></p>
<p><em> <strong>Would I be the Bolas if I were to inquire about being an exception to the ban rule?</strong> With the understanding that I probably won't know how to build/play to the same level of table flipping frustration, am I just poking at old wounds?</em></p>
<p><em>I'd rather leave out which commander it is if we can.</em></p>
<p><em>Signed, </em></p>
<p><em>Newbie</em></p>
</div>
<div dir="auto">
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mr. House, President and CEO"></div></div>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>HOWDY, NEWBIE!</h2>
<p>Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.</p>
<p>I love this submission. There are so many interesting pieces to this that makes me pretty stoked to get into it.</p>
<p>First, I want to say a big "hell yeah, that rules" about joining a playgroup of folks who've welcomed you so much and treat you in a way you appreciate. That's awesome, and I wish this for everybody looking to join a playgroup. It's a beautiful thing!</p>
<p>Secondly, I think the line you're walking in this group is a difficult one to tow. As the new guy, you've got to adapt to their rules and determine how you like it while also being careful not to overstep or change things up too much as to avoid the possibility of not being invited back, etc.</p>
<p>I think the way they've taken you in tells me that you'll be alright altogether.</p>
<p>Finally, I think your desire to play a commander that is house-banned is definitely fair. You weren't around for the banning and don't know exactly what caused it.</p>
<p>I believe it should be fine for you to inquire about their reasoning, but be prepared to be met with the possibility of not being encouraged to build that deck.</p>
<p>To the readers, I should probably tell you that Newbie has asked me not to include the legendary creature in question, but they have disclosed it to me.</p>
<p>To give you an idea, it's a commander that I would also kind of sigh at if I saw it in the command zone, but I wouldn't be rushing to push it off my table. It's definitely a difficult creature to deal with, and for experienced players to be upset at the sight of it, I should say I don't think they're totally overreacting by banning it.</p>
<p>As Commander players, I'd say it's pretty likely that we came to the format long after the banned cards list was established. When you get into the format and see that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Griselbrand" href="#" target="_blank">Griselbrand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is banned, I would hope your first instinct isn't to say "hey, I want to play that card" and try to get away with it in your deck. You play by the rules, right?</p>
<p>In this case, there are some extra rules. This playgroup has seen some things they'd rather avoid in the future.</p>
<p>It's fair to question why it's banned and to ask if you could potentially build it, but a card like that (again, sorry I can't give you all the information, readers) even being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone" href="#" target="_blank">Clone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>d is brutal and could still cause issues at the table again.</p>
<p>It's not a banned commander in the game overall, so if you wanted to put together the deck and have it for when you find yourself at an LGS or playing with other people, nobody can stop you there.</p>
<p>However, in this playgroup, you'll need to run it by them and be ready for a negative response.</p>
<p>You are new, and they've given you a lot of grace, though I don't think they're likely to bend here. I could be wrong, though!</p>
<p>You are not the Bolas for wanting to ask. You would be if you showed up with the deck built and ready to go at the group's table.</p>
<p>Okay...warning....</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I will tell you who the creature is.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's....</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>.....</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunding Gjornersen"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Did you really think I'd betray Newbie's trust?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>


Am I The Bolas? - House Banned Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">Octavia, Living Thesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/simondominic">Simon Dominic</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparation</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>In this article, let's talk about one very powerful yet underplayed tempo commander: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octavia, Living Thesis" href="#" target="_blank">Octavia, Living Thesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Octavia, Living Thesis"></div></div>
<p><strong>Observation 1</strong></p>
<p>Octavia is quite the powerhouse! She's exactly what the doctor ordered: a solid tempo commander who offers a cheap aggressive body that can pump other creatures.</p>
<p><strong>Observation 2</strong></p>
<p>While the cost reduction really turns Octavia into a viable tempo commander, it's not as easy as one might think. By playing a fast deck, we need to get our commander online ASAP, but requiring eight instants/sorceries in the 'yard can slow us down quite a lot.</p>
<p><strong>Observation 3</strong></p>
<p>It's a shame that there aren't enough <em>Infect</em> creatures to build a proper mono-blue <em>Infect</em> deck, but they are a nice alternative win condition to have against lifegain decks, since Octavia can buff them up so well.</p>
<p><strong>Observation 4</strong></p>
<p>Octavia's <em>Ward</em> means we're covered against most forms of spot removal, barring counterspells. This makes us a lot safer, since board wipes are far less common than single-target removal.</p>
<p><strong>Observation 5</strong></p>
<p>Octavia's ability can target <em>any </em>creature, not just ours.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<h2><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-67557" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig-1024x516.png" alt="" width="1024" height="516" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig-1024x516.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig-300x151.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig-768x387.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Octavia-Sig.png 1225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></h2>
<p>As we can see, a lot of folks use Octavia as a way to pump up cheap, evasive bodies, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Looter Il-Kor" href="#" target="_blank">Looter Il-Kor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to play a tempo game against the opposition. This makes the deck even more reliant upon getting those eight instants/sorceries in the graveyard, since these critters don't exactly end a game without our commander buffing them up. However, because these are taking up spell slots, it gets even trickier to fill the graveyard in the first place! This increases the importance of looting and mill effects to get our commander online as soon as possible.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>Most folks think about Octavia's <em>Magecraft</em> trigger as an opportunity to pump cheap evasive bodies, but one thing that always let me down about this strategy was its play pattern. There's so much setup here: we need to fill the graveyard with instants or sorceries, put small creatures into play, <em>then</em> we can cast our commander, <em>then </em>cast a spell to trigger the <em>Magecraft,</em> and after all that, we can finally attack with a beefed-up creature. This is a lot of set up for a tempo-oriented shell that relies so heavily on their commander.</p>
<p>What if we could make our opponents do the job for us, and, thus, solely relying on them to help get our commander online more consistently? How, you ask? By using our <em>Magecraft</em> triggers as political tools to incentivize our opponents to attack each other!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pendant of Prosperity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temple Bell"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroan Horse"></div></div>
<p>That's right, it's Octavia Group Hug time. Group Hugs are even better when your commander has eight arms! Octavia's ability can work on <em>any </em>creature, not just ours. If we give favors to our opponents, we can empower their creatures to take each other down. The best part about this political strategy is that it becomes much easier to close games out (and avoid kingmaking scenarios). After all, our commander can turn any leftover token into a late-game threat.</p>
<p>That being said, we still need some ways to show our opponents that <em>we're</em> not a threat. We do this by being the friendliest person on the table, either by drawing everyone cards with things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Folio of Fancies" href="#" target="_blank">Folio of Fancies</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horn of Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Horn of Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of Kruphix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or by providing some additional bonus for our presence, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pendant of Prosperity" href="#" target="_blank">Pendant of Prosperity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tempting Contract" href="#" target="_blank">Tempting Contract</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While these effects might make it seem like we're not actually trying to win, all of those effects are crucial for our own gameplan, because we need a stacked graveyard to reliably cast our commander.</p>
<p>Aside from that, we have some more indirect ways of "helping" our opponents. By giving everyone tokens (which we can pump with our commander), the game becomes a lot bloodier, which works great for us because it softens our opposition while placing everyone else in an aggressive position. Spite is a powerful tool.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crawlspace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dissipation Field"></div></div>
<p>Sometimes, players aren't willing to play ball. We have two main ways of dealing with them: the first is trying to convince the two other players to help us, but if that fails, there are always cards that deter our opponents from trying to take a swing at us. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crawlspace" href="#" target="_blank">Crawlspace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silent Arbiter" href="#" target="_blank">Silent Arbiter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> completely stop go-wide decks, and our commander can help us cover bigger creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dissipation Field" href="#" target="_blank">Dissipation Field</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won't prevent strikes, but they do impose a small tax for attacking us, and couple that with the fact that we're accelerating everyone else and the losses might become too much to bear.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Octavia Group Hug" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Octavia, Living Thesis
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Kami of the Crescent Moon
*Akroan Horse
*Murmuring Mystic
*Silent Arbiter
*Talrand, Sky Summoner
*Pursued Whale
[/Creature]
[Instant]
*Mental Note
*Opt
*Peek
*Pongify
*Rapid Hybridization
*Swan Song
*Thought Scour
*Visions of Beyond
*Whispers of the Muse
*Arcane Denial
*Counterspell
*Curate
*Cyclonic Rift
*Deliberate
*Jwari Disruption
*Negate
*Reality Shift
*Resculpt
*Thassa&#039;s Intervention
*Vision Skeins
*Fierce Guardianship
*Oona&#039;s Grace
*Silundi Vision
*Supreme Will
*Aetherize
*Engulf the Shore
*Aetherspouts
[/Instant]
[Enchantment]
*Search for Azcanta
*Dictate of Kruphix
*Propaganda
*Rhystic Study
*Dissipation Field
[/Enchantment]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Sol Ring
*Fellwar Stone
*Folio of Fancies
*Mind Stone
*Sky Diamond
*Thaumatic Compass
*Thought Vessel
*Crawlspace
*Horn of Greed
*Pendant of Prosperity
*Skyclave Relic
*Temple Bell
*Tempting Contract
[/Artifact]
[Planeswalker]
*Jace Beleren
*Ugin, the Ineffable
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*Careful Study
*Gitaxian Probe
*Multiple Choice
*Ponder
*Portent
*Preordain
*Serum Visions
*Sleight of Hand
*Scour All Possibilities
*Ingenious Mastery
*Ravenform
*Sea Gate Restoration
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blinkmoth Nexus
*Crawling Barrens
*Faceless Haven
*Faerie Conclave
*Forbidden Orchard
*Inkmoth Nexus
*Mobilized District
*Mutavault
*25 Island
[/land]"></span></div></p>

<hr />
<p>Our commander needs us to have a full graveyard, so we need a sufficient number of instants/sorceries to reliably cast her. Aside from that, it's also important to keep a steady flow of cards, both to get to that threshold and to keep triggering our commander's <em>Magecraft</em>. Cantrips are a great way to do this, as they allow us to cut a bit of lands and have a higher instants/sorceries count in our deck. It feels pretty good to cast an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for value that will also help turn someone else's unblocked 1/1 Thopter into a surprise 8/8!</p>
<p>The rest of the deck is dedicated to controlling the pace of the game, which is very important because we're accelerating combat steps, and we can't get drowned by our own gameplan. Mono-blue isn't always the best choice for combative matters, but we have plenty of tools to deal with troublesome creatures, and the combination of bounce effects and counterspells can cover the rest.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, we are mostly looking for a way to get our commander's discount online and some of our group hug pieces. Our deck is filled with card draw, so we can be quite loose with opening hands as long as they are at least a bit functional. The most important ones are definitely <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thought Scour" href="#" target="_blank">Thought Scour</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curate" href="#" target="_blank">Curate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects, to filter our draws <em>and </em>get the ball rolling.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mental Note"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thought Scour"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curate"></div></div>
<p>Our early game is all about developing, either by playing mana rocks, group hug pieces, or even digging for some of those with our cantrips. Unlike the standard tempo builds, we aren't in a hurry to get our commander out right away. We can take our time and wait for others to develop a board, so that when we <em>do </em>cast our commander, we actually have creature targets to pump up.</p>
<p>The mid-game is where things start getting more explosive. By this time we should have landed a Group Hug piece (such as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temple Bell" href="#" target="_blank">Temple Bell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horn of Greed" href="#" target="_blank">Horn of Greed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and should be able to make small deals. Eliminate a mutual threat with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in exchange for pumping their double-striker. Give them the benefit of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ingenious Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Ingenious Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get them enough mana to deploy a powerful creature. Getting our commander online starts to become a priority at this point because it's the best way to do some damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ingenious Mastery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Murmuring Mystic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Conclave"></div></div>
<p>By the late game, we should probably be looking to flip the switch and become the aggressor. By the later stage of the game, this won't be hard, because our commander will be a cheap Voltron threat. Not only that, but the mana base of this deck is loaded with lands that can turn into creatures! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkmoth Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Inkmoth Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Conclave" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Conclave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can craft our own surprise lethal threats without taking spell slots in the deck by stuffing it with little creatures. Plus, the fact that our deck is chock full of so many cantrip effects means we'll come out way ahead if the game whittles down to a top-deck war, because we get to see a lot more cards than they do.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thopter Spy Network"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrong Turn"></div></div>
<p>Octavia presents some deckbuilding considerations, especially when playing for instant-speed <em>Magecraft</em> triggers. But there are always other ways this commander could improve, and new lessons she could explore.</p>
<p>For example, if you don't want to rely upon creature lands, you could find room for a steady source of token production in the deck, especially ones that go under-the-radar and don't tip enemies off that you might be planning a big backstab. Alternatively, this deck could also invest more into control-switching effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrong Turn" href="#" target="_blank">Wrong Turn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to help get enemies onto our side much faster. These also play rather nicely, because they help us fill our graveyard quota.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think about this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Octavia Group Hug

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulrich of the Krallenhorde" href="#" target="_blank">Ulrich of the Krallenhorde</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/maniaks">Slawomir Maniak</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p><span id="m_7985745279735501680gmail-docs-internal-guid-971aaafd-7fff-35c2-bef7-2bbb00875c9e">Hello, EDHREC! I’m Bernardo Melibeu and this is <em>Epic Experiment,</em> a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally play our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</span></p>
<p>In this article we're going to talk about the scruffy lord himself: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulrich of the Krallenhorde" href="#" target="_blank">Ulrich of the Krallenhorde</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>First, let's take a quick look at his kit</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulrich of the Krallenhorde"></div></div>
<p><strong>Whenever this creature enters the battlefield or transforms into Ulrich of the Krallenhorde, target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn.</strong></p>
<p><strong>At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Ulrich of the Krallenhorde.</strong></p>
<p><strong>(Flip side)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Whenever this creature transforms into Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha, you may have it fight target non-Werewolf creature you don't control.</strong></p>
<p><strong>At the beginning of each upkeep, if two or more spells were cast last turn, transform Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>Ulrich is very similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Huntmaster of the Fells" href="#" target="_blank">Huntmaster of the Fells</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the sense that they both encourage their controller to keep transforming them back and forth.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p>A player casting no spells in a turn is quite rare in EDH. To make things worse, the payoffs are unreliable. For example, unless he's transforming back to a Human on our turn, we won't be able to use the bonus P/T.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>Having mana sinks such as activated abilities will help avoid casting spells, which could assist us to transform Ulrich.</p>
<p>Observation 4:</p>
<p>Unlike Ulrich's Human side, transforming into his Werewolf side feels great on any turn. The fight ability is useful since it can pick off valuable utility creatures and/or clear a path for an attack.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p>Now, let’s take a quick look at <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/ulrich-of-the-krallenhorde">Ulrich’s EDHREC page</a>:</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-34205" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Ulrich-Sig.png" alt="" width="693" height="363" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-34206" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Ulrich-Top.png" alt="" width="680" height="367" /></p>
<p>Werewolves everywhere! Given Ulrich's borderline vanilla feel, and that he's the only Werewolf that can be a commander, people tend to only try him out in tribal decks. However, as many deckbuilders have found, commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruric Thar, the Unbowed" href="#" target="_blank">Ruric Thar, the Unbowed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Surrak Dragonclaw" href="#" target="_blank">Surrak Dragonclaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give a better support for that tribe, since they facilitate transformations more easily.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>This idea was suggested to me by a reader in a previous article, so here we go:</p>
<p>As we saw before, Ulrich's payoffs are kind of unreliable, which means we need to think outside the box to make them <em>more </em>reliable. How? Well, for example, let's say we have our commander in play, and Jenny is about to start her turn. We could ask her to let us flip Ulrich so that we can fight and destroy that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zur, the Enchanter" href="#" target="_blank">Zur, the Enchanter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> over there that's trying to be sneaky.</p>
<p>Now let's say that, while Ulrich is in Werewolf form, someone casts two spells on the same turn, making him flip back to Human. The next turn isn't ours, so Ulrich's P/T bonus would be kind of wasted if we were to buff any of our creatures... but what if we try to make a deal with Timmy, whose turn is next, to give one of <em>his</em> creatures the buff, so he can attack that Zur player for more damage?</p>
<p>In both of these cases, we use the added dimension of a multiplayer game to transform (pun intended) our beatstick into a political tool.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Basilisk Collar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Repercussion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thaumatic Compass"></div></div>
<p>As mentioned before, Ulrich appreciates spending mana on activated abilities, since it allows us to use our mana without casting spells, to help him transform. Thus, a strong Equipment suite allows us to develop our board while also triggering our commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basilisk Collar" href="#" target="_blank">Basilisk Collar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gorgon&#039;s Head" href="#" target="_blank">Gorgon&#039;s Head</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make sure that if Ulrich fights a creature, it dies. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Kaldra" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Kaldra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not only exiles the affected creature, but also allows Ulrich to Voltron people out of the game. You won't gain any political points with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scythe of the Wretched" href="#" target="_blank">Scythe of the Wretched</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but this card lets us use some of our opponents' creatures against them.</p>
<p>Since we're trying to be a political engine, it's kind of hard to play threats, since those threats could paint a target on our back and remove our political capital. This is why we're packing some damage-doubling effects, so we can try to avoid some of the backlash while simultaneously accelerating the clock. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Bloodletting" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Bloodletting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitter Feud" href="#" target="_blank">Bitter Feud</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are efficient ways to incentivize our opponents to target each other. Other global effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Furnace of Rath" href="#" target="_blank">Furnace of Rath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can also work, but these are a little bit scarier to use since we have no control over them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Assault Suit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rite of the Raging Storm"></div></div>
<p>There are also ways to make people want to attack, though without forcing them to. Usually forcing a player to attack will invite them to just attack you, but if we're just giving our opponents the <em>option</em> to attack without <em>forcing </em>them to, that can work out a lot better in our favor. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of the Raging Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of the Raging Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives a free attack to the active player. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assault Suit" href="#" target="_blank">Assault Suit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us lend our commander to every opponent, which helps spread commander damage across the table. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor" href="#" target="_blank">Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very fun political card, benefitting greatly from both of Ulrich's abilities and creating an interesting dynamic with Her Survivor tokens. In this deck, we should always ask permission before attacking with Varchild; explaining our thought process to the defending player can be instrumental to make sure they don't begrudge the attack, and will then go on to use those Survivor tokens to help us take out mutual enemies.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ulrich Politics" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Ulrich of the Krallenhorde
[/Commander]
[Creature]
* Birds of Paradise
* Humble Defector
* Sakura-Tribe Elder
* Goblin Spymaster
* Magus of the Moon
* Rampaging Ferocidon
* Treasure Nabber
* Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor
* Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
* Avenger of Zendikar
* Molten Primordial
* Avatar of Slaughter
* Craterhoof Behemoth
[/Creature]
[Sorcery]
* Faithless Looting
* Wildest Dreams
* Farseek
* Hull Breach
* Mizzium Mortars
* Nature&#039;s Lore
* Rampant Growth
* Tormenting Voice
* Cultivate
* Grow From the Ashes
* Kodama&#039;s Reach
* Chain Reaction
* Disrupt Decorum
* Harmonize
* Skyshroud Claim
* Creeping Renaissance
* Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
* Tooth and Nail
* Insurrection
* Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Enchantment]
* Curse of Opulence
* Sylvan Library
* Blood Moon
* Repercussion
* Sulfuric Vortex
* Furnace of Rath
* Stranglehold
* Bitter Feud
* Curse of Bloodletting
* Rite of the Raging Storm
* Vicious Shadows
* Sandwurm Convergence
[/Enchantment]
[Artifact]
* Basilisk Collar
*Gorgon&#039;s Head
* Relic of Progenitus
* Sol Ring
* Scythe of the Wretched
* Strionic Resonator
* Thaumatic Compass
* Crown of Doom
* Darksteel Plate
* Assault Suit
* Sword of Kaldra
* Vedalken Orrery
[/Artifact]
[Instant]
* Nature&#039;s Claim
* Heroic Intervention
* Price of Progress
* Beast Within
* Chaos Warp
[/Instant]
[Land]
*Command Tower
*Stomping Ground
*Spire Garden
*Rootbound Crag
*Karplusan Forest
*City of Brass
* Mana Confluence
* Cinder Glade
* Game Trail
* Temple of Abandon
* Sheltered Thicket
* Flamekin Village
* Hanweir Battlements
* Kessig Wolf Run
* Skarrg, the Rage Pits
* Ghost Quarter
* Tectonic Edge
*11 Forest
*9 Mountain
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>The list is running a slight lockdown subtheme. This is not stax, per se, but they help us control many types of common strategies. We have graveyard hate with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relic of Progenitus" href="#" target="_blank">Relic of Progenitus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, lifegain hate with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sulfuric Vortex" href="#" target="_blank">Sulfuric Vortex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampaging Ferocidon" href="#" target="_blank">Rampaging Ferocidon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and more blunt pieces, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sandwurm Convergence" href="#" target="_blank">Sandwurm Convergence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which shuts down folks looking to attack our way, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magus of the Moon" href="#" target="_blank">Magus of the Moon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will punish greedy manabases.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sandwurm Convergence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Moon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disrupt Decorum"></div></div>
<p>Given that we're running a political deck, seems only fitting to add a few <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Threaten" href="#" target="_blank">Threaten</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. In EDH, these usually affect the whole board and are on the expensive side, but they do pack a punch. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insurrection" href="#" target="_blank">Insurrection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the go-to card, and can just end games. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disrupt Decorum" href="#" target="_blank">Disrupt Decorum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't give us control of the creatures, but its effect is quite potent when it wreaks havoc for a full round.</p>
<p>We're not running many straight-up win conditions, but one in particular is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tooth and Nail" href="#" target="_blank">Tooth and Nail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. For our T&amp;N creature package we're running the dynamic duo, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avenger of Zendikar" href="#" target="_blank">Avenger of Zendikar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we're also running a spicier one in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avatar of Slaughter" href="#" target="_blank">Avatar of Slaughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Molten Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Molten Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Depending on context, you could really do a lot of damage with these big creatures.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Methodology</h3>
<p>Getting started with political decks can be really difficult, since political play isn't a skill we learn in other formats. I would recommend trying the list with people that you feel comfortable playing with, so the process of making deals is a little bit easier to understand. I'd advise against multi-turn deals, as they can become frustrating for the other players and might backfire very quickly. Try small "X-for-Y" trades instead, which make the game run smoother and will avoid feelbads.</p>
<p>For our opening hand, we need a way to get ahead in mana to start developing our board. This is really important because we can't make deals if we don't have anything meaningful to offer. Playing lock effects and damage doublers is a bit of a gambit and I'd recommend, unless given a strong reason, not doing so.</p>
<p>For the mid game, we want to play out political tools, which includes our commander, one of our most repeatable political offerings. We should also try to incentivize our opponents to hit each other, be it with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of the Raging Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of the Raging Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or simply by making deals. As we play more and more pieces, the number of deals we can make can increase - just make sure you read the room and don't make folks uncomfortable by doing so.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tooth and Nail"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sandwurm Convergence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vicious Shadows"></div></div>
<p>By the late game, when our opponent's resources start to crumble, we should make the infamous face-to-heel transition and start going aggro. Good pacing throughout the game is important for this transition; with the bloodbath that we've enabled, many of our threats are finally online in this stage of the game, and we only need that one big punch to open wide the game.</p>
<p>One mistake I often see when playing against political decks is that the pilot tends to think that they're everyone's friend. This cannot be further from the truth - we're not trying to make friends, we're using them to get what we want. Every deal we make has to put us slowly ahead, and every "gift" we give comes with many strings attached. We, as the politics deck, need to always remember that we're playing to win. Giving out things without a plan will just result in a kingmaker scenario, which will lose us the game while also feeling pretty bad for the other players. However, giving things out when we <em>do </em>have a plan will turn our opponents into our chess pieces.</p>
<hr />
<h3>Epic Results</h3>
<p>If you'd like to tune up this deck, there are tons of other potential inclusions to facilitate interesting gameplay. <em>Monarch </em>cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyline Despot" href="#" target="_blank">Skyline Despot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throne of the High City" href="#" target="_blank">Throne of the High City</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, introduce a great new dynamic to the board. We could even add effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bedlam" href="#" target="_blank">Bedlam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to the mix so that it's easier to finish the game up. We might take some extra damage because of that, but if we're playing our politics correctly, we should be able to get around the aggro. Finally, you could amp up the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tooth and Nail" href="#" target="_blank">Tooth and Nail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> package with a combo like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zealous Conscripts" href="#" target="_blank">Zealous Conscripts</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment!</em> What do you think about this list? Was Ulrich a good boi? Do you have any questions about the list? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


politcs

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Epic Experiment - Ulrich Politics