<p><em>Quandrix Unlimited</em> is a new Commander preconstructed deck releasing with the set <em>Secrets of Strixhaven</em>. What's in the deck, who are the commanders, and is it a good buy?</p>
<p>Let's find out.</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SOSQuandrixprecon-1.png

<p>The <i>Quandrix Unlimited</i> Commander deck contains the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>1 Ready-to-play 100-card Commander deck</li>
<li>1 Traditional foil face commander with borderless art</li>
<li>1 Traditional foil featured commander with borderless art</li>
<li>98 Non-foil cards, including 10 new-to-Magic cards</li>
<li>10 Double-sided tokens</li>
<li>1 Reference card</li>
<li>1 Deck box</li>
</ul>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zimone, Infinite Analyst" href="#" target="_blank">Zimone, Infinite Analyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zimone, Infinite Analyst"></div></div>
<p>Zimone's here to do Quandrix things, which also align pretty well with Simic things.</p>
<p>The blue/green color combo is often joked about as being a bit one-dimensional, which is ironic considering Quandrix's penchant for infinity.</p>
<p>While Zimone, Infinite Analyst doesn't do a ton to break out of that mold, there's enough going on with the card to foster an interesting deck.</p>
<p>Zimone's a 0/4 Human Wizard for three mana, but it won't likely stay 0/4 for long. The first spell you cast a spell with X in its mana cost each turn gets Zimone two +1/+1 counters. Ideally you're able to trigger this the same turn you cast Zimone, so it's worth sandbagging your commander a bit in order to get immediate value.</p>
<p>That's only half the card, though. The other ability states that the first spell you cast each turn with X in its mana cost gets a discount for each of those +1/+1 counters on Zimone. The first X spell that Zimone sees won't get that discount (unless it somehow came into play with counters, a scenario that's entirely possible in <em>Quandrix Unlimited</em>), but subsequent ones will get cheaper and cheaper, which in practice means the X gets bigger and bigger.</p>
<p>Maybe not quite to infinity, but never say never.</p>
<p>With 27 X spells in the deck, Zimone can snowball very quickly and will likely be a prime removal target for opponents once they realize what's going on.</p>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primo, the Unbounded" href="#" target="_blank">Primo, the Unbounded</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primo, the Unbounded"></div></div>
<p>Along with Zimone comes Primo, the Unbounded, a 0/0 Fractal Wolf with trample. Obviously its 0/0 stat line will be augmented immediately, and that's exactly what happens; Primo's got an X in that casting cost, and comes into play with twice X +1/+1 counters. With three other mana alongside, that means for four total mana, Primo's a 2/2, and for five, it's a 4/4. And so on.</p>
<p>Primo's base power of zero is important, as the card loves creatures with a goose egg. Whenever one or more creatures you control with base power zero deal combat damage to a player, you create a 0/0 Fractal token, and give it a number of +1/+1 counters equal to damage dealt.</p>
<p>So by itself, if Primo is a 2/2 and connects with an opponent's face, it makes another 2/2. Then next turn, if both connect, Primo makes a 4/4. And so on. There's a theme here.</p>
<p>Primo works well with Zimone, providing massive tokens as Zimone gets larger and larger thanks to the X spells you're casting. But as a commander, Primo is much more interesting and open-ended. A deck dedicated to Primo could take a number of different paths, from <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/toughness-matters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defender decks</a> to <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/plants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Plant token decks</a> to a weird build that targets your own creatures with stuff like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serendib Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Serendib Sorcerer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Island of Wak-Wak" href="#" target="_blank">Island of Wak-Wak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Not all these strategies will be good, but they'll be fun.</p>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinetic Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">Kinetic Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinetic Ooze"></div></div>
<p>Ooze enjoyers are thrilled to see a new Ooze (news?), especially one that's pretty good. For X and a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, you'll get a 0/0 with X +1/+1 counters on it - standard fare for boneless creatures.</p>
<p>When Kinetic Ooze enters, you get to nuke any target artifact or enchantment with mana value X or less. If X is five or more, you also draw a card. And if X is <em>even higher, </em>like 10 or more, specifically, you also get to double all +1/+1 counters on any number of other target creatures. Kinetic Ooze can't double its own counters, but that's probably not a deal breaker.</p>
<p>Even if X is five, that's a 5/5 creature, a removal of a threat, and a card drawn. Not bad value for six mana.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nev, the Practical Dean" href="#" target="_blank">Nev, the Practical Dean</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nev, the Practical Dean"></div></div>
<p>Nev returns with a new card, no longer teaming up with Adrix. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adrix and Nev, Twincasters" href="#" target="_blank">Adrix and Nev, Twincasters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is quite the card though, so how does Nev do as a solo act?</p>
<p>For three mana, you're getting a 2/2 Merfolk Wizard that grants trample to all creatures you control that have counters of any kind. Also, whenever you cast your first spell with X in its mana cost each turn, as you'll be doing quite often in <em>Quandrix Unlimited, </em>Nev itself gets X +1/+1 counters.</p>
<p>It won't take many X spells to make Nev a formidable attacker.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Owlin Spiralmancer" href="#" target="_blank">Owlin Spiralmancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Owlin Spiralmancer"></div></div>
<p>Four mana gets you a 3/4 flying, vigilant Bird Wizard, which is already a pretty solid stat line.</p>
<p>But you're not playing Owlin Spiralmancer for the stat line, you're playing it for its ability. Whenever you cast your first spell each turn with X in its mana cost, copy it. That's pretty nuts in a deck like this one, where so much effort is devoted to casting X spells.</p>
<p>In practice, Owlin Spiralmancer functions as a way to feel less bad spending an entire turn sinking every resource you've got into a singular X. One of this strategy's biggest weaknesses is a tactically employed counterspell from an opponent, but if you're copying that massive X spell on cast, it's a lot harder to stop.</p>
<p>Any blue deck <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/x-spells" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dedicated to X spells</a> will immediately make room for this Bird Wizard.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Striding Shotcaller" href="#" target="_blank">Striding Shotcaller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Striding Shotcaller"></div></div>
<p>An 0/4 Troll Druid for two mana, Striding Shotcaller is one of two prepared creatures in <em>Quandrix Unlimited. </em>It prepares Run the Play, a sorcery for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> that puts a +1/+1 counter on each of X target creatures, and those creatures get flying until end of turn. Plus, as a little treat, you also draw a card.</p>
<p>To prepare Striding Shotcaller, it just requires a creature you control to deal combat damage to a player. Which, of course, is easier when the card itself gives your creatures flying. Oh, and it has reach, too.</p>
<p>A downside of a deck focused on X spells is that you'll often find yourself holding onto them in order to get the maximum impact of funneling everything you've got into the X. But with Striding Shotcaller, you've got a repeatable X spell at your disposal.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yavimaya Bloomsage" href="#" target="_blank">Yavimaya Bloomsage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yavimaya Bloomsage"></div></div>
<p>Now it's time for the <em>other </em>prepared creature in <em>Quandrix Unlimited, </em>Yavimaya Bloomsage. This one brings with it a spell that's literally banned in Commander.</p>
<p>A 2/2 Dryad Druid for three mana, Yavimaya Bloomsage has a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Channel" href="#" target="_blank">Channel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in its pocket. If you've ever had the privilege of casting a Channel, you know that this is a card worth paying attention to. Just dream of the values for X you can achieve with a Channel.</p>
<p>Yavimaya Bloomsage doesn't enter prepared, though, and it's a little tough to achieve that state. At the beginning of your end step, you put a +1/+1 counter onto a creature you control, and if that creature's power is seven or greater after that counter, then Yavimaya Bloomsage is prepared.</p>
<p>You need another creature, and it has to be big. Good thing this deck's commander works so well with it, huh?</p>
<p>Beyond <em>Quandrix Unlimited, </em>Yavimaya Bloomsage will see a lot of play, because again, Channel.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brass Infiniscope" href="#" target="_blank">Brass Infiniscope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brass Infiniscope"></div></div>
<p>The deck's sole new artifact comes in the form of Brass Infiniscope. For four mana, you're getting a mana rock custom-built for X spell decks. Tap it for two colorless mana, and when you next cast a spell with X, draw a card and gain life equal to half of X.</p>
<p>Seems fine, sure. But note that those two conditions are not connected. You can use that two colorless for anything, and later in the turn, casting an X spell, whether you used that two colorless mana or not, will still trigger the card draw and life gain. That might not be frequently relevant, as you're probably tapping Brass Infiniscope to help pay for X anyway, but it is worth keeping in mind.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expansion Algorithm" href="#" target="_blank">Expansion Algorithm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Expansion Algorithm"></div></div>
<p>It's hard to get more distilled than Expansion Algorithm. As is often the case with useful keywords, they go through a period of being attached to myriad conditions and iterations before a card comes along that simply says, "Do that thing."</p>
<p>Expansion Algorithm says do that thing, and that thing is proliferate. Specifically, you do it X times, with the card itself running you X and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. Proliferate as a mechanic is very powerful, but never by itself. It's not exactly a win-more mechanic, but it'll never dig you out of a hole.</p>
<p>That said, Expansion Algorithm will likely replace other, more complicated proliferate spells in a number of decks.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nexus Mentality" href="#" target="_blank">Nexus Mentality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nexus Mentality"></div></div>
<p>To get ahead in life, you just have to have that Nexus mindset.</p>
<p>A four-mana instant, Nexus Mentality provides you with two modes. In some cases, you'll pick one, but most of the time, you're looking to pick both by controlling your commander when this is cast.</p>
<p>As for the modes themselves, you either move all counters from one target nonland permanent to another one you control, or you remove all counters from target nonland permanent you control and draw a card for each counter removed. Or, again, both.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enjoyers are lamenting the "nonland" part of these modes, but that doesn't mean Nexus Mentality is to be ignored. In most scenarios, cashing in a bunch of counters to draw cards is going to be the better option, but if you've got something that loves seeing counters placed on it, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of Whispered Hopes" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of Whispered Hopes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or the noticeably absent <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then you win either way.</p>
<p>Or, again, both ways.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lattice Library" href="#" target="_blank">Lattice Library</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lattice Library"></div></div>
<p>For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Lattice Library enters with X study counters on it. Pretty typical library fare.</p>
<p>When Lattice Library enters or whenever you cast the first X spell of the turn, make a 0/0 Fractal token with a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to Lattice Library's study counters. Less typical library fare.</p>
<p>Providing a free creature token with every X spell cast is pretty solid, and Lattice Library itself makes a great target for Expansion Algorithm's proliferation explosion. It may not be better than the <em>other </em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sylvan Library" href="#" target="_blank">green Library enchantment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but few cards are.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Turbulent Wilderness" href="#" target="_blank">Turbulent Wilderness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Turbulent Wilderness"></div></div>
<p>As with all five <em>Secrets of Strixhaven </em>decks, <em>Quandrix Unlimited</em> has its own color-relevant "Turbulent" land, with Turbulent Wilderness.</p>
<p>It's got basic land types, which is always nice to see on a new land, and the condition for entering untapped - if opponents have eight or more lands collectively - isn't hard to achieve. With no ramp, that'll happen on turn three if you didn't go first or second in the game, or turn four if you did.</p>
<p>As far as dual lands go, they aren't immediate must-haves, but they're still pretty good. And interestingly, they get better as the quality of opponents' decks increases.</p>


<p>With <em>Quandrix Unlimited, </em>we want to follow Zimone's lead, and that means X spells and +1/+1 counters, with both seeing their numbers get larger and larger.</p>
<p>As mentioned before, the deck contains 27 X spells (28 if you count Run the Play, Striding Shotcaller's prepared spell), so it's likely that you'll never be wanting for an X spell to trigger the cards that care about such things.</p>
<p>As for what those cards are, there are a few:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lattice Library" href="#" target="_blank">Lattice Library</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nev, the Practical Dean" href="#" target="_blank">Nev, the Practical Dean</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Owlin Spiralmancer" href="#" target="_blank">Owlin Spiralmancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lattice Library"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nev, the Practical Dean"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Owlin Spiralmancer"></div></div>
<p>Then there are the cards that, like Zimone, help facilitate the casting of X spells:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brass Infiniscope" href="#" target="_blank">Brass Infiniscope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elementalist&#039;s Palette" href="#" target="_blank">Elementalist&#039;s Palette</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Troyan, Gutsy Explorer" href="#" target="_blank">Troyan, Gutsy Explorer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unbound Flourishing" href="#" target="_blank">Unbound Flourishing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brass Infiniscope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elementalist&#039;s Palette"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Troyan, Gutsy Explorer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unbound Flourishing"></div></div>
<p>Really, though, all these X spells are in service of the other strategy, and that's amassing as many +1/+1 counters onto your creatures as you possibly can. With an absence of game-breaking X spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Finale of Devastation" href="#" target="_blank">Finale of Devastation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Genesis Wave" href="#" target="_blank">Genesis Wave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the goal is to incrementally increase our creatures' threat level.</p>
<p>First, we have ways to speed up the process of creating +1/+1 counters:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benevolent Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Benevolent Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forgotten Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Forgotten Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of Whispered Hopes" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of Whispered Hopes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tanazir Quandrix" href="#" target="_blank">Tanazir Quandrix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ozolith, the Shattered Spire" href="#" target="_blank">Ozolith, the Shattered Spire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hardened Scales" href="#" target="_blank">Hardened Scales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Benevolent Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forgotten Ancient"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kami of Whispered Hopes"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tanazir Quandrix"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ozolith, the Shattered Spire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hardened Scales"></div></div>
<p>It's nice to have these in play before going ham on creating +1/+1 counters, but they're not necessary. If anything, they tend to attract attention in form of removal, which actually plays into your hand considering the real threats are, well, threats:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hangarback Walker" href="#" target="_blank">Hangarback Walker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hydroid Krasis" href="#" target="_blank">Hydroid Krasis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lifeblood Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Lifeblood Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primordial Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Primordial Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stonecoil Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Stonecoil Serpent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hangarback Walker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hydroid Krasis"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lifeblood Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primordial Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stonecoil Serpent"></div></div>
<p>These are all excellent cards to focus +1/+1 counters on, but realistically we want to use Zimone for that as best we can, since the discount those counters provide to X spells is the engine that this deck needs to function well. There's a reason that cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guardian Augmenter" href="#" target="_blank">Guardian Augmenter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tyvar&#039;s Stand" href="#" target="_blank">Tyvar&#039;s Stand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silkguard" href="#" target="_blank">Silkguard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are in the 99; Zimone is crucial to the deck's performance and protecting it is key.</p>
<p>And sometimes, the best defense is a good suite of removal, so thankfully <em>Quandrix Unlimited </em>packs plenty in that regard. In addition to the usual <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rapid Hybridization" href="#" target="_blank">Rapid Hybridization</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that we're accustomed to in blue/green decks, there are also options that lean into the deck's themes and are thus more interesting:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Might" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Might</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Decisive Denial" href="#" target="_blank">Decisive Denial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Perplexing Test" href="#" target="_blank">Perplexing Test</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zimone&#039;s Hypothesis" href="#" target="_blank">Zimone&#039;s Hypothesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primal Might"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Decisive Denial"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Perplexing Test"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zimone&#039;s Hypothesis"></div></div>


<p>Despite the deck's commander having the word "infinite" in its name, there are no established combos in <em>Quandrix Unlimited. </em>That said, if we want to truly embody the spirit of Quandrix, it wouldn't take much effort to include some.</p>
<p>Since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of Whispered Hopes" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of Whispered Hopes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in the list already, all you'd have to do is add a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Freed from the Real" href="#" target="_blank">Freed from the Real</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pemmin&#039;s Aura" href="#" target="_blank">Pemmin&#039;s Aura</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crab Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Crab Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of the Paruns" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of the Paruns</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>...) to the mix to create infinite colored mana:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kami of Whispered Hopes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Freed from the Real"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pemmin&#039;s Aura"></div></div>
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<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe><br />
And since there's already <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deekah, Fractal Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Deekah, Fractal Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the deck, you can make use of that <em>magecraft </em>ability to produce a combo with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain of Acid" href="#" target="_blank">Chain of Acid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that creates infinite creature tokens - as long as you also have an indestructible permanent in play. Like, say, one targeted with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tyvar&#039;s Stand" href="#" target="_blank">Tyvar&#039;s Stand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deekah, Fractal Theorist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chain of Acid"></div></div>
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<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe></p>


<p>Like the other <em>Secrets of Strixhaven </em>decks, <em>Quandrix Unlimited </em>has plenty of lands. 37 of them, to be exact. That's pretty understandable for a deck that focuses on maximizing the value of X as often as possible.</p>
<p>And as you'd expect, most of those lands are here to create colored mana as needed, but there are still a few utility lands that found their way in:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alchemist&#039;s Refuge" href="#" target="_blank">Alchemist&#039;s Refuge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oran-Rief, the Vastwood" href="#" target="_blank">Oran-Rief, the Vastwood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reliquary Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Reliquary Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alchemist&#039;s Refuge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oran-Rief, the Vastwood"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reliquary Tower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue&#039;s Passage"></div></div>
<p>Reliquary Tower is an interesting choice. While it's certainly possible that the deck will draw you enough cards to need a reprieve from maximum hand size, it's often the case that Reliquary Tower is worse than a simple basic land the majority of the time.</p>
<p>As for mana rocks, <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> and <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> are here, as usual, but there are some more intriguing choices that fit into the deck's theme:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astral Cornucopia" href="#" target="_blank">Astral Cornucopia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brass Infiniscope" href="#" target="_blank">Brass Infiniscope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elementalist&#039;s Palette" href="#" target="_blank">Elementalist&#039;s Palette</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Astral Cornucopia"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brass Infiniscope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elementalist&#039;s Palette"></div></div>
<p>Mana rocks that do stuff are sure nice to see, even if they're not overwhelmingly powerful. In a lot of scenarios, you'll be much happier to draw an Elementalist's Palette than an Arcane Signet.</p>


<p>Currently, if you were to purchase <em>Quandrix Unlimited </em>piecemeal as singles, it would cost approximately $240. That makes the $49.99 MSRP of the deck a bit more palatable.</p>
<p>However, as with all new releases, that price is inflated somewhat by the new cards, the prices for which haven't quite settled yet. If we remove the prices of the 12 new cards, we're left with a total cost of singles of around $116. Still a good deal.</p>
<p>That new total is driven by a few very interesting reprints:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unbound Flourishing" href="#" target="_blank">Unbound Flourishing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ozolith, the Shattered Spire" href="#" target="_blank">Ozolith, the Shattered Spire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benevolent Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Benevolent Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primordial Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Primordial Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Visits" href="#" target="_blank">Three Visits</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unbound Flourishing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ozolith, the Shattered Spire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Benevolent Hydra"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primordial Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Visits"></div></div>
<p>These five cards are welcome reprints - especially Unbound Flourishing - but after these, the drop-off in value is steep.</p>


<p>The combination of X spell shenanigans and +1/+1 synergy is going to speak to a certain subset of players, and as a result, there'll be people out there who think <em>Quandrix Unlimited </em>is the best preconstructed deck printed in quite some time.</p>
<p>While it is good, the strategy is somewhat linear and a bit too reliant on its featured commander to really kick into a higher gear, and there'll be games where you'll fuss about with low values of X until you realize the game's passed you by.</p>
<p>That fact, coupled with the somewhat lacking collection of needed reprints, means <em>Quandrix Unlimited </em>scores a B-.</p>


<p>Looking to upgrade your <em>Quandrix Unlimited </em>precon? Check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/quandrix-unlimited-precon-upgrade" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our Upgrade Guide here</a>.</p>


Quandrix Unlimited - Secrets of Strixhaven Precon Guide

<p><em>Witherbloom Pestilence</em> is a new Commander preconstructed deck releasing with the set <em>Secrets of Strixhaven</em>. What's in the deck, who are the commanders, and is it a good buy?</p>
<p>Let's find out.</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SOSWitherbloomprecon.png

<p>The <i>Witherbloom Pestilence</i> Commander deck contains the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>1 Ready-to-play 100-card Commander deck</li>
<li>1 Traditional foil face commander with borderless art</li>
<li>1 Traditional foil featured commander with borderless art</li>
<li>98 Non-foil cards, including 10 new-to-Magic cards</li>
<li>10 Double-sided tokens</li>
<li>1 Reference card</li>
<li>1 Deck box</li>
</ul>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dina, Essence Brewer" href="#" target="_blank">Dina, Essence Brewer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dina, Essence Brewer"></div></div>
<p>Dina's back, and she's still steepin'.</p>
<p>This time around, her herbal concoctions take the form of hitting the four biggest pillars of a green/black legend: sacrificing creatures, drawing cards, gaining life, and adding +1/+1 counters to things. Yes, Dina does all four.</p>
<p>Dina's one of those commanders that one might refer to as a one-card engine, with two abilities that feed into each other.</p>
<p>First, whenever Dina sees you sacrifice a creature, you draw a card. It can only happen once per turn, sure, but it doesn't say it can only happen on <em>your </em>turn. So in a perfect world, Dina can draw you four cards per turn cycle.</p>
<p>But how might you sacrifice these creatures? Dina's got that covered too, at least once. For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Dina sacrifices another creature and you gain X life and put X +1/+1 counters onto a target creature you control. As long as you've got the creatures to feed into Dina's ability, you won't need much else. Dina even allows you to put those counters onto Dina herself, should you need to.</p>
<p>For only three mana, Dina is an exceptionally powerful value engine, and will likely be the de jour black/green legend of choice for the foreseeable future.</p>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gorma, the Gullet" href="#" target="_blank">Gorma, the Gullet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gorma, the Gullet"></div></div>
<p>Alongside Dina comes Gorma, the Gullet, a 1/1 Pest Frog with lifelink for three mana.</p>
<p>Gorma also likes seeing creatures die, and whenever another creature you control kicks the bucket, Gorma gets a +1/+1 counter. Note that it doesn't say "nontoken." That condition precedes the <em>other </em>ability.</p>
<p>Gorma also says that nontoken creatures you control enter with an additional +1/+1 counter for each creature that died under your control this turn. That might seem underwhelming, but it can add up quick, especially if you're sacrificing things left, right, and center as <em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>is wont to do.</p>
<p>Gorma will take a lot more effort to build around than Dina, and that's a good thing. But in the context of this preconstructed deck, Gorma's clearly a role player in the 99 when Dina's around.</p>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defiling Daemogoth" href="#" target="_blank">Defiling Daemogoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defiling Daemogoth"></div></div>
<p>We're starting off the 10 new cards in <em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>with a bang, and that bang comes in the form of Defiling Daemogoth, a 5/4 Demon with menace for five mana.</p>
<p>This Demon wants you to gain life, and provides a bit of help in that regard by allowing you to gain one life whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player. That likely won't add up to a ton of life each combat step, but <em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>also doesn't need much help in gaining life.</p>
<p>The real power of Defiling Daemogoth is the second ability. At the beginning of your end step, each opponent loses life equal to the amount you gained on your turn. It's kind of a repeatable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Midnight Snack" href="#" target="_blank">Midnight Snack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and it'll add up quickly. The only thing holding it back is that the life gain has to happen on your turn to trigger - a minor quibble.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eccentric Pestfinder" href="#" target="_blank">Eccentric Pestfinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eccentric Pestfinder"></div></div>
<p>The first prepared creature of <em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>is really into bugs, and that comes through in its prepared spell, Turn Stones. Eccentric Pestfinder is a trampling 5/5 Troll Druid for four mana, which by itself doesn't move the needle in 2026.</p>
<p>But when you staple Turn Stones onto it, things change. Turn Stones, a two-mana sorcery, provides you with a 1/1 Pest token for each opponent. These Pests are black and green and when they die, you gain 1 life. To prepare Eccentric Pestfinder, you simply must gain life. That's it. If you did that during your turn, then Eccentric Pathfinder becomes prepared at the end of it.</p>
<p>So that's three 1/1 token creatures each turn. For just one black mana and one green mana. Tokens that, when they die, gain you life.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merchant of Venom" href="#" target="_blank">Merchant of Venom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merchant of Venom"></div></div>
<p>Everyone loves a good Cat Warlock, even one that's a 1/1 for four mana, albeit with menace.</p>
<p>Merchant of Venom shares a font with a well-loved variety of creature also occupied by things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fleshbag Marauder" href="#" target="_blank">Fleshbag Marauder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plaguecrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Plaguecrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slum Reaper" href="#" target="_blank">Slum Reaper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and more. They're always iterating on that idea, and Merchant of Venom might be the best one yet (not named <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheoldred" href="#" target="_blank">Sheoldred</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<p>Assuming you're not casting this when you have no other creatures, it's not really a 1/1, it's a 5/5, which makes the stat line much more palatable. And whenever a player sacrifices anything, Merchant of Venom gets bigger. Any player. Sacrificing <em>any </em>permanent. Fetchland? Eldrazi Scions? Expedition Map? Doesn't matter.</p>
<p>If you've played a deck with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (also in this precon), you know exactly how good this can be.</p>
<p>Any deck playing black will want to look at Merchant of Venom.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pest Rescuer" href="#" target="_blank">Pest Rescuer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pest Rescuer"></div></div>
<p>What if instead of sacrificing Pest tokens, you just wore them as a hat? This is the question asked by Pest Rescuer.</p>
<p>Taking a cue from classic Commander creature <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophiomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ophiomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which is also in this deck with new art), Pest Rescuer says that at the beginning of each upkeep, if you don't have a Pest creature token, create one. Notice that it specifically says "Pest creature <em>token,</em>" so if you have Gorma in play, it'll still trigger.</p>
<p>As if that weren't good enough, Pest Rescuer also adds an additional one life to any that you gain.</p>
<p>There's a reason why Ophiomancer, which has been around since 2013, has been so long-lived, and that's because it's really, really good. Are Pests better than deathtouch Snakes, though? Who cares.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ribtruss Roaster" href="#" target="_blank">Ribtruss Roaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ribtruss Roaster"></div></div>
<p>While Pest Rescuer saves Pests, Ribtruss Roaster eats them. And then makes more. The logistics aren't important.</p>
<p>A 3/3 Troll Druid, Ribtruss Roaster has devour 1, which means that as it enters, you can sacrifice as many creatures as you want. For each one, Ribtruss Roaster gets a +1/+1 counter.</p>
<p>You want to be stockpiling +1/+1 counters onto Ribtruss Roaster, because at the beginning of your end step, you get a Pest refund. For each +1/+1 counter on the Roaster, you create a new Pest token. At the end of every one of your turns.</p>
<p>The thing about <em>Witherbloom Pestilence, </em>though, is that there are plenty of ways to add +1/+1 counters to your creatures. Dina does it pretty well herself. So Ribtruss Roaster doesn't even need to devour anything to get going.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stensian Sanguinist" href="#" target="_blank">Stensian Sanguinist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stensian Sanguinist"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is so popular in Commander, why not just attach it to a 2/2 Vampire Cleric?</p>
<p>Whenever you attack, Stensian Sanguinist gives a temporary boon of deathtouch to one of your creatures. To prepare the Vampire, you just need to deal combat damage with the creature you gave deathtouch to. Not too difficult, especially if you're picking a creature that already has evasion.</p>
<p>The reward for that successful preparation is you get to cast Exsanguinate, a card that famously ends Commander games, or at least puts them out of reach for opponents.</p>
<p>One caveat though: it's clear that in the context of <em>Witherbloom Pestilence, </em>the Sanguinist's Exsanguinate is meant more to be cast where X equals one or two, not 20. If you can go ham with it, go for it, but don't be afraid to cast a mini version to trigger all the "if you gained life this turn" abilities in the deck.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feral Appetite" href="#" target="_blank">Feral Appetite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feral Appetite"></div></div>
<p>With Dina at the helm, you want to be sacrificing creatures regularly, and that's what Pests are for. However, by themselves Pests don't do a whole lot. But what if they also had deathtouch?</p>
<p>That's the question Feral Appetite answers, in addition to providing a slight buff to your Pests' power. It's a very similar question to the one answered by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blight Mound" href="#" target="_blank">Blight Mound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is also in this deck.</p>
<p>The real value of this three-mana enchantment, though, is the activated ability.</p>
<p>For two mana, you can exile a card from a graveyard. If it's a creature, create a Pest. And you can pick from anyone's graveyard, not just your own.</p>
<p>We've come a long way since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Night Soil" href="#" target="_blank">Night Soil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immoral Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Immoral Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Immoral Bargain"></div></div>
<p><i>Witherbloom Pestilence </i>also provides two new sorceries, with the first one being Immoral Bargain.</p>
<p>For three mana, you can sacrifice X creatures to destroy X target nonland permanents. So simple, it's surprising that this card hadn't existed before. At least, it hasn't been this efficient before, as seen in comparison to something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eliminate the Competition" href="#" target="_blank">Eliminate the Competition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>As long as you've got the creatures to spare, Immoral Bargain can be very powerful, but likely the majority of times it gets cast will see X equal two or three at most. Still good, but inherently card disadvantage.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ominous Harvest" href="#" target="_blank">Ominous Harvest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ominous Harvest"></div></div>
<p><i>Witherbloom Pestilence's </i>other new sorcery is Ominous Harvest, which sees the return of gravestorm.</p>
<p>It's only the third time gravestorm has appeared on a card, with the other two being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitter Ordeal" href="#" target="_blank">Bitter Ordeal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Follow the Bodies" href="#" target="_blank">Follow the Bodies</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Ominous Harvest draws a card and pings for one life for every instance of a permanent being put into the graveyard from play this turn. That's any permanent going to any graveyard, which is exceptionally powerful, if your timing's right. Like, say, right after a big Immoral Bargain.</p>
<p>If the gravestorm gets too crazy, Ominous Harvest does allow you to target any player, not just yourself. If the loss of life would be too great, just treat Ominous Harvest like a game-ending killshot.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Turbulent Fen" href="#" target="_blank">Turbulent Fen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Turbulent Fen"></div></div>
<p>As with all five <em>Secrets of Strixhaven </em>decks, <em>Witherbloom Pestilence</em> has its own color-relevant "Turbulent" land, with Turbulent Fen.</p>
<p>It's got basic land types, which is always nice to see on a new land, and the condition for entering untapped - if opponents have eight or more lands collectively - isn't hard to achieve. With no ramp, that'll happen on turn three if you didn't go first or second in the game, or turn four if you did.</p>
<p>As far as dual lands go, they aren't immediate must-haves, but they're still pretty good. And interestingly, they get better as the quality of opponents' decks increases.</p>


<p><em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>carries forth the time-honored strategy seen in many black/green decks, in that none of your creatures are worth as much alive as they dead. Or, to be specific, <em>dying. </em></p>
<p>Sacrificing creatures is the fuel that powers the engine, and everything else - gaining life, dealing damage, drawing cards, and eking out value - is centered on that principle.</p>
<p>We've seen how Dina drives that bus, and a lot of the times it'll be Dina's ability that you'll look to as option one, but the deck also has plenty of other ways to convert a living creature to a dead one for value. And one of those ways is the <em>other </em>Dina:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dina, Soul Steeper" href="#" target="_blank">Dina, Soul Steeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycoloth" href="#" target="_blank">Mycoloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Priest of Forgotten Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Priest of Forgotten Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ribtruss Roaster" href="#" target="_blank">Ribtruss Roaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Abomination" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Abomination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umbral Collar Zealot" href="#" target="_blank">Umbral Collar Zealot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><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></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wight of the Reliquary" href="#" target="_blank">Wight of the Reliquary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Woe Strider" href="#" target="_blank">Woe Strider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yahenni, Undying Partisan" href="#" target="_blank">Yahenni, Undying Partisan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mycoloth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Umbral Collar Zealot"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Woe Strider"></div></div>
<p>These are all the creatures that allow the opportunity to sacrifice other creatures. There are other ways in the deck as well, from sorceries like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immoral Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Immoral Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Brew" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Brew</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to a land, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Market" href="#" target="_blank">High Market</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>There are creatures that sacrifice others, but there are also a handful of creatures that want to be sacrificed:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodghast" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodghast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haywire Mite" href="#" target="_blank">Haywire Mite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nether Traitor" href="#" target="_blank">Nether Traitor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teacher&#039;s Pest" href="#" target="_blank">Teacher&#039;s Pest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodghast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haywire Mite"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nether Traitor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teacher&#039;s Pest"></div></div>
<p>And yes, there are 39 creatures in the 99 of <em>Witherbloom Pestilence, </em>but with how important it is that we always have something to sacrifice, 39 isn't as large a number as it may seem. That's why it's so valuable we've got a number of ways to create creature tokens as fodder, be they Pests or otherwise:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beledros Witherbloom" href="#" target="_blank">Beledros Witherbloom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Creakwood Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Creakwood Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eccentric Pestfinder" href="#" target="_blank">Eccentric Pestfinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia" href="#" target="_blank">Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophiomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ophiomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pawn of Ulamog" href="#" target="_blank">Pawn of Ulamog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pest Rescuer" href="#" target="_blank">Pest Rescuer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tendershoot Dryad" href="#" target="_blank">Tendershoot Dryad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><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></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blight Mound" href="#" target="_blank">Blight Mound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Creakwood Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pawn of Ulamog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Awakening Zone"></div></div>
<p>Sure, we can create and destroy life, which is what Witherbloom's all about, but to what end? What's the point of all this coming and going? How does <em>Witherbloom Pestilence...</em>win?</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blossoming Bogbeast" href="#" target="_blank">Blossoming Bogbeast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gorma, the Gullet" href="#" target="_blank">Gorma, the Gullet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defiling Daemogoth" href="#" target="_blank">Defiling Daemogoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blossoming Bogbeast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gorma, the Gullet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defiling Daemogoth"></div></div>
<p>There's not a lot of "I win now" cards, but that's not how a deck like this operates. <em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>is about incremental advantage, building a machine that turns dying creatures into card draw, power amplification, and board control.</p>
<p>A winning turn isn't necessarily an alpha strike, but the thousandth cut.</p>


<p>There aren't any combos built into the 99+1 of <em>Witherbloom Pestilence, </em>as we can see via Commander Spellbook's handy "<a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/find-my-combos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Find My Combos</a>" tool.</p>
<p>But format veterans will probably spot at a glance a number of cards that <em>are </em>in the deck that tend to be involved in infinite combos. If we want to lean into that, it won't take much effort to compile a few combos, starting by adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mikaeus, the Unhallowed" href="#" target="_blank">Mikaeus, the Unhallowed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div id="628-2292--5" 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="628-2292--5" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/embed.js?v=1&uses=%5B%22Mikaeus%2C%20the%20Unhallowed%22%2C%22Viscera%20Seer%22%5D&requires=%5B%22Persist%20Creature%22%5D&produces=%5B%22Infinite%20LTB%22%2C%22Infinite%20ETB%22%2C%22Infinite%20sacrifice%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20death%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20scry%201%22%5D&id=628-2292--5&color=B&extraRequirementCount=0"></script></div>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe><br />
We can see that Mikaeus joins forces with <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> to create an infinite loop - <em>if </em>we also add a persist creature to the mix as well. Big Mike and Viscera Seer aren't critical, either - the same effect can be achieved with things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ivy Lane Denizen" href="#" target="_blank">Ivy Lane Denizen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Henge" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Henge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the Mike spot, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umbral Collar Zealot" href="#" target="_blank">Umbral Collar Zealot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yahenni, Undying Partisan" href="#" target="_blank">Yahenni, Undying Partisan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the Seer spot.</p>
<p>Maybe that's too busy, and you'd rather have something less complicated. We've already got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, why not just add a <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> to the deck?</p>
<div id="317-5641" 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="317-5641" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/embed.js?v=1&uses=%5B%22Basking%20Broodscale%22%2C%22Mazirek%2C%20Kraul%20Death%20Priest%22%5D&requires=%5B%5D&produces=%5B%22Infinite%20colorless%20mana%22%2C%22Infinite%20death%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20ETB%22%2C%22Infinite%20LTB%22%2C%22Infinite%20sacrifice%20triggers%22%2C%22Infinite%20%2B1%2F%2B1%20counters%20on%20creatures%20you%20control%22%5D&id=317-5641&color=BG&extraRequirementCount=1"></script></div>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe><br />
Maybe there's a reason why Basking Broodscale isn't in this deck by default.</p>


<p><em>Witherbloom Pestilence, </em>like its <em>Secrets of Strixhaven </em>preconstructed deck cousins, has an ample selection of lands - in this case, 37 of them. Like most precons, the majority of them are here simply to make mana in the colors you want them to be, when you need them.</p>
<p>But there are still a few utility lands that found their way in:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Backwoods" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Backwoods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Market" href="#" target="_blank">High Market</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titan&#039;s Grave" href="#" target="_blank">Titan&#039;s Grave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Witherbloom Campus" href="#" target="_blank">Witherbloom Campus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grim Backwoods"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="High Market"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Titan&#039;s Grave"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Witherbloom Campus"></div></div>
<p>It's pretty obvious <em>why </em>these lands are included, as they either help with the sacrificing strategy or provide some added card filtering.</p>
<p>As for mana rocks, well...that's not what this deck is about, to put it plainly.</p>
<ul>
<li><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></li>
<li><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></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Signet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sol Ring"></div></div>
<p>That's it. But there are a number of creature-based ramp options, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilded Goose" href="#" target="_blank">Gilded Goose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakura-Tribe Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Sakura-Tribe Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Springbloom Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Springbloom Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>


<p>The MSRP of <em>Witherbloom Pestilence, </em>as with all <em>Secrets of Strixhaven </em>preconstructed decks, is $49.99.</p>
<p>Compared to the other preconstructed decks from <em>Secrets of Strixhaven, </em><em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>isn't at the same level in terms of reprint value. All together, with the 12 new cards included, the singles value of the deck is sitting around $185. If we remove those new cards, then we're looking at a meager $55.</p>
<p>That's pretty low, especially compared to the decks representing the other schools of Strixhaven.</p>
<p>The top five reprints by value are:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyome, Master Chef" href="#" target="_blank">Gyome, Master Chef</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nether Traitor" href="#" target="_blank">Nether Traitor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ohran Frostfang" href="#" target="_blank">Ohran Frostfang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blossoming Bogbeast" href="#" target="_blank">Blossoming Bogbeast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gyome, Master Chef"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nether Traitor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ohran Frostfang"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toxic Deluge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blossoming Bogbeast"></div></div>
<p>The drop-off there is noticeable, and beyond Blossoming Bogbeast there aren't too many worth more than a buck or two.</p>


<p><em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>is a finely crafted preconstructed deck, with nearly every card carefully selected to create a great sacrifice-themed deck straight out of the box. That strategy might not be for everyone - it can take a bit of clerical work to ensure you don't miss anything - but those who like it <em>really </em>like it.</p>
<p>The financial value of the reprints leave a lot to be desired, especially compared to the other <em>Secrets of Strixhaven </em>decks, and that holds back the score a bit.</p>
<p>Overall, <em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>gets a B.</p>


<p>Looking to upgrade your <em>Witherbloom Pestilence </em>precon? Check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/witherbloom-pestilence-precon-upgrade-guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our Upgrade Guide here</a>.</p>


Witherbloom Pestilence - Secrets of Strixhaven Precon Guide

<p><em>Silverquill Influence</em> is a new Commander preconstructed deck releasing with the set <em>Secrets of Strixhaven</em>. What's in the deck, who are the commanders, and is it a good buy?</p>
<p>Let's find out.</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SOSSilverquillheader.png

<p>The <i>Silverquill Influence</i> Commander deck contains the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>1 Ready-to-play 100-card Commander deck</li>
<li>1 Traditional foil face commander with borderless art</li>
<li>1 Traditional foil featured commander with borderless art</li>
<li>98 Non-foil cards, including 10 new-to-Magic cards</li>
<li>10 Double-sided tokens</li>
<li>1 Reference card</li>
<li>1 Deck box</li>
</ul>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Killian, Decisive Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Killian, Decisive Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Killian, Decisive Mentor"></div></div>
<p><a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Killian_Lu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Killian</a> is back, and the character's come a long way from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Killian, Ink Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">appearing as an uncommon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the first go-round at Strixhaven.</p>
<p>Killian, Decisive Mentor's gone all-in in the Aura game. For each enchantment you drop, Killian provides a free goad trigger. This strategy can be offensive or defensive, as the creature you target for the goad effect becomes tapped to clear the way for an attack, or ensures the scariest creature on the board won't be coming your way during its combat step.</p>
<p>And remember: Killian doesn't have to target the creature receiving the Aura. You can slap a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shielded by Faith" href="#" target="_blank">Shielded by Faith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto Killian itself, and still tap/goad an opponent's creature.</p>
<p>But that's only half the text on new Killian. Whenever one or more creatures enchanted by one of your Auras attacks - be they your creatures or your opponents' - you draw a card.</p>
<p>Will Killian supplant <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eriette of the Charmed Apple" href="#" target="_blank">Eriette of the Charmed Apple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (a card in the 99 of this deck) as the <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/auras/orzhov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">premier Aura-centric black/white commander</a>? It's got a shot.</p>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scriv, the Obligator" href="#" target="_blank">Scriv, the Obligator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scriv, the Obligator"></div></div>
<p>Joining Killian is Scriv, the Obligator, a 2/3 Inkling Bird with flying and deathtouch for four mana. Scriv's also centered around Auras, supplying you with a steady stream of them.</p>
<p>Whenever Scriv enters or attacks, you create one such Aura, in this case a white one called "Contract" that attaches itself to an opponent's creature. A creature enchanted by Contract receives +2/+0 until end of turn if it's attacking anyone but you - and if it <em>does </em>attack you, its controller loses two life.</p>
<p>On its own, a Contract isn't too disincentivizing to opponents should they really want to attack you, but remember you're getting at least one per turn in a perfect world, and there's nothing on Scriv that says one particular creature can't get loaded up with all the Contracts.</p>
<p>Scriv's less powerful than Killian as the leader of a deck, but arguably more interesting as the leader of a deck built specifically for the inky Bird.</p>


<p>Here's the deck list for <em>Silverquill Influence</em>:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Silverquill" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Killian, Decisive Mentor
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Ajani&#039;s Chosen
*1 Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace
*1 Armored Skyhunter
*1 Breena, the Demagogue
*1 Combat Calligrapher
*1 Defacing Duskmage // Vandal&#039;s Edit
*1 Doomwake Giant
*1 Eidolon of Countless Battles
*1 Eiganjo Dynastorian // Replenish
*1 Eriette of the Charmed Apple
*1 Firemane Commando
*1 Hateful Eidolon
*1 Herald of Amity
*1 Keen Duelist
*1 Killian, Ink Duelist
*1 Kor Spiritdancer
*1 Mangara, the Diplomat
*1 Nils, Discipline Enforcer
*1 Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor
*1 Scriv, the Obligator
*1 Shadrix Silverquill
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Starfield Mystic
*1 Tomik, Wielder of Law
*1 Transcendent Envoy
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*1 Angelic Destiny
*1 Animate Dead
*1 Chains of Custody
*1 Changing Loyalty
*1 Coercive Impetus
*1 Darksteel Mutation
*1 Eldrazi Conscription
*1 Fallen Ideal
*1 Flickering Ward
*1 Forum Filibuster
*1 Ghostly Prison
*1 Ghoulish Impetus
*1 Gift of Immortality
*1 Intermediate Chirography
*1 Land Tax
*1 Martial Impetus
*1 Parasitic Impetus
*1 Raffine&#039;s Guidance
*1 Redemption Arc
*1 Sage&#039;s Reverie
*1 Screams from Within
*1 Sentinel&#039;s Eyes
*1 Sheltered by Ghosts
*1 Shielded by Faith
*1 Songbirds&#039; Blessing
*1 Spirit Mantle
[/Enchantment]
[Sorcery]
*1 Promise of Loyalty
*1 Secret Rendezvous
*1 Winds of Rath
[/Sorcery]
[Instant]
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Fracture
*1 Inkshield
*1 Vanishing Verse
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Hierarchy
[/Artifact]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Command Tower
*1 Desolate Mire
*1 Eclipsed Steppe
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Fetid Heath
*1 Forum of Amity
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Path of Ancestry
*8 Plains
*1 Shineshadow Snarl
*1 Silverquill Campus
*1 Study Hall
*1 Sunlit Marsh
*8 Swamp
*1 Temple of Silence
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Turbulent Moor
*1 Umbral Expanse
*1 War Room
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defacing Duskmage" href="#" target="_blank">Defacing Duskmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defacing Duskmage"></div></div>
<p>Our first new card in the 99 of <em>Silverquill Influence </em>is Defacing Duskmage, a 2/2 Dog Warlock for two mana that gives us a segue to discuss the prepared mechanic.</p>
<p>Creatures with the prepared mechanic bring their own spell with them, some of which are new, and some of which are returning from <em>Magic's </em>past (we'll get to the latter in a bit). Defacing Duskmage's spell is Vandal's Edit, a white-splashing, instant-speed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Risky Shortcut" href="#" target="_blank">Risky Shortcut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>But how do you cast Vandal's Edit? Thematically, you don't; the creature does, if it's prepared. Each creature with prepared has different methods of becoming so. In Defacing Duskmage's case, whenever an opponent draws a second card on any turn, it becomes prepared, unlocking your ability to cast Vandal's Edit.</p>
<p>Once you cast a prepared creature's spell, that creature becomes unprepared and needs to be re-prepared in order to cast its spell again.</p>
<p>So, in essence, whenever any opponent draws two cards, you can also draw two cards, and drain the table for two (including yourself).</p>
<p>Prepared creatures are going to be extremely powerful in Commander, and this Dog is no different.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald of Amity" href="#" target="_blank">Herald of Amity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Herald of Amity"></div></div>
<p>Defacing Duskmage, while very good, didn't have anything to do with Auras, a central theme of <em>Silverquill Influence. </em>Herald of Amity corrects that.</p>
<p>A 2/2 flying Griffin for four mana, Herald of Amity first allows you to cast a free Aura out of the top eight cards of your library. That's just for entering the battlefield, which, we should note, is much better than being triggered on cast in a color that has cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudshift" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Second, whenever Herald of Amity attacks, it gets a turn-long buff of +X/+X, where X is the number of Auras you control. So, for four mana you get a good chance at a free Aura off the top, and are left with an evasive attacker that could be hitting pretty hard, depending on the board state.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forum Filibuster" href="#" target="_blank">Forum Filibuster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forum Filibuster"></div></div>
<p>The main problem with Auras, as a strategy, is that they're inherently card disadvantage. If you put a helpful Aura on your creature, then any opponent can spend one card to get rid of two of your cards.</p>
<p>Forum Filibuster, an enchantment for five mana, helps alleviate that issue by providing you both with a steady stream of creatures <em>and </em>a way to reuse fallen Auras. While it's obviously pretty good in this Aura precon, look for Forum Filibuster to really make hay in both white/green <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/enchantress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enchantress decks</a> as well as white/red <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/equipment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equipment decks</a>, since it brings those back, too.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coercive Impetus" href="#" target="_blank">Coercive Impetus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coercive Impetus"></div></div>
<p>We're getting more entries into the <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=impetus+type%3Aaura+%28game%3Apaper%29+prefer%3Abest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Impetus subtheme of Auras</a>. Coercive is the eighth such Aura (half of which are in this deck), with each providing a small buff to a creature's stats in addition to goading it. They're tailor-made to be played on opponents' creatures, though can usually be placed on your own in a pinch.</p>
<p>Coercive provides you with the same card draw whether it's on your creature or an opponent's, as long as that creature is attacking, and for three mana you could do worse.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Changing Loyalty" href="#" target="_blank">Changing Loyalty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Changing Loyalty"></div></div>
<p>Changing Loyalty has the potential to be game-changing, if your timing's right.</p>
<p>It's technically an Aura so it'll trigger any abilities that care about Auras, but in practice it'll feel more like an instant. We've seen plenty in a similar vein, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Debt of Loyalty" href="#" target="_blank">Debt of Loyalty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card of which Changing Loyalty is likely a reference.</p>
<p>The thing about Debt of Loyalty is it's an extremely effective card, and Changing Loyalty is miles better. Even at its base cost of two mana, you're still swiping the best creature on the board post-board wipe, and for every additional two generic mana you sink into it, you're just that much farther ahead.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intermediate Chirography" href="#" target="_blank">Intermediate Chirography</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Intermediate Chirography"></div></div>
<p>Each of the precons from this set includes one Class, an enchantment subtype previously seen in <em>Bloomburrow</em> and <em>Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate</em>. Essentially, you level up to gain increasingly powerful abilities, as if you're "learning" from the class depicted on the card.</p>
<p>You can look at it in stages: for Intermediate Chirography, you get a 2/1 black Inkling token for two mana, then for two more mana, the ability giving you a +1/+1 counter to put on a creature when you lose life for the first time each turn.</p>
<p>For seven total mana, you get the previous two rewards, plus the real prize: at the beginning of any end step, if a modified creature you controlled died that turn, you make another Inkling token.</p>
<p>Seven mana's a lot, but Level 3 of this card will likely find itself as the centerpiece to Aristocrats decks that want to make sure they always have creatures on hand.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eiganjo Dynastorian" href="#" target="_blank">Eiganjo Dynastorian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eiganjo Dynastorian"></div></div>
<p>While Defacing Duskmage brought its own custom spell to prepare for, Eiganjo Dynastorian joins the fray with an old classic. If you have any experience with Enchantress decks, you've likely seen <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Replenish" href="#" target="_blank">Replenish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Replenish"></div></div>
<p>It's outrageously powerful for its cost, which (plus its Reserved List status) is why Replenish is firmly in the three-digit price range. So why buy a Replenish when you can just borrow this Fox Advisor's copy? And truth be told, Eiganjo Dynastorian is one of the easier creatures to prepare, asking you simply to attack with two or more creatures. It's not unrealistic to expect to cast Replenish every turn if needed.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Turbulent Moor" href="#" target="_blank">Turbulent Moor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Turbulent Moor"></div></div>
<p>Lastly, we've got a couple new lands to see, starting with Turbulent Moor. Each of the five <em>Secrets of Strixhaven </em>decks have their own color-relevant "Turbulent" land, with Silverquill receiving the black/white Moor.</p>
<p>It's got basic land types, which is always nice to see on a new land, and the condition for entering untapped - if opponents have eight or more lands collectively - isn't hard to achieve. With no ramp, that'll happen on turn three if you didn't go first or second in the game, or turn four if you did.</p>
<p>As far as dual lands go, they aren't immediate must-haves, but they're still pretty good. And interestingly, they get better as the quality of opponents' decks increases.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eclipsed Steppe" href="#" target="_blank">Eclipsed Steppe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eclipsed Steppe"></div></div>
<p>The next new two-color land is much more familiar in style to <em>Magic </em>players.</p>
<p>Eclipsed Steppe is a new member of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/lands/five-color#battlelands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Battle Lands</a>, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prairie Stream" href="#" target="_blank">Prairie Stream</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, named so because the cycle debuted in <em>Battle for Zendikar </em>more than a decade ago. We're finally seeing the closing of that loop.</p>
<p>There isn't much to say about Eclipsed Steppe that most people don't already know - Battle Lands are a mainstay as a more budget-friendly option for your mana base. They reward playing plenty of basics, and they're fetchable. There are much worse dual-color land cycles out there.</p>


<p>With <em>Silverquill Influence, </em>it's all about Aura farming.</p>
<p>The deck contains a whopping 22 Auras, with some designed to help out your creatures and others meant to harm opponents'.</p>
<p>First, let's look at the ones you'll want to put onto your own creatures:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angelic Destiny" href="#" target="_blank">Angelic Destiny</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eldrazi Conscription" href="#" target="_blank">Eldrazi Conscription</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gift of Immortality" href="#" target="_blank">Gift of Immortality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angelic Destiny"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eldrazi Conscription"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gift of Immortality"></div></div>
<p>And there are plenty more where those came from. With the entire deck tuned to Auras, every one you play will get you the benefit of the card itself, but hopefully trigger a number of abilities as well - Killian's own included.</p>
<p>As for Auras you want to use to ruin your opponents' day, here are some highlights:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Mutation" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Mutation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Screams from Within" href="#" target="_blank">Screams from Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Redemption Arc" href="#" target="_blank">Redemption Arc</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Mutation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Screams from Within"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Redemption Arc"></div></div>
<p>There's something satisfying about playing Auras, despite their inherent issues with card advantage and tempo, and it's surprising that the classic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pacifism" href="#" target="_blank">Pacifism</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been omitted.</p>
<p>So there are 20+ Auras in the deck; how convenient, then, when nearly all of the 25 creatures in the 99 also <em>love </em>Auras? Let's look at them in two groups: creatures that want to see Auras enter, and creatures that want to be enchanted.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani&#039;s Chosen" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani&#039;s Chosen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doomwake Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Doomwake Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eriette of the Charmed Apple" href="#" target="_blank">Eriette of the Charmed Apple</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor" href="#" target="_blank">Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sram, Senior Edificer" href="#" target="_blank">Sram, Senior Edificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani&#039;s Chosen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doomwake Giant"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eriette of the Charmed Apple"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sram, Senior Edificer"></div></div>
<p>This cadre of creatures want to be around to witness all the Auras coming and going, giving you back the card advantage that Auras by themselves lack. Sure, this deck, like most precons, is weak to board wipes, but that's the name of the game for Auras - they generally need creatures to be alive.</p>
<p>And speaking of creatures that want to wear an Aura or two, here are a few:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eidolon of Countless Battles" href="#" target="_blank">Eidolon of Countless Battles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hateful Eidolon" href="#" target="_blank">Hateful Eidolon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kor Spiritdancer" href="#" target="_blank">Kor Spiritdancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eidolon of Countless Battles"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hateful Eidolon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kor Spiritdancer"></div></div>
<p>So we've covered the Auras, and the creatures that love them. Surrounding that package, we've got a number of removal spells and interaction that allow us to continue flipping through our Aura catalog:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anguished Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Anguished Unmaking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fracture" href="#" target="_blank">Fracture</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vanishing Verse" href="#" target="_blank">Vanishing Verse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winds of Rath" href="#" target="_blank">Winds of Rath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anguished Unmaking"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fracture"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vanishing Verse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Winds of Rath"></div></div>
<p>Yes, there aren't that many ways to control the board outside of Auras - however, there are a few Auras in that category we didn't even mention, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chains of Custody" href="#" target="_blank">Chains of Custody</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheltered by Ghosts" href="#" target="_blank">Sheltered by Ghosts</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Winds of Rath is the obvious all-star here, wiping away anything with the disgrace of being Aura-less. In a deck that wants to win through incremental advantages, Winds of Rath is a cheat code.</p>


<p>Thanks to our friends at <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/find-my-combos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander Spellbook and their Find My Combo</a> tool, we can see that <em>Silverquill Influence </em>has no combos in the deck as-is.</p>
<p>However, it wouldn't take much to add a few.</p>
<p>If we wanted to add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor" href="#" target="_blank">Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the deck, it would join <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to create a two-card, infinite token-making combo. However, once it gets going, it can't stop on its own, so you better have a plan.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace"></div></div>
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We could also dig through our collections for a <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>. Viscera Seer is no stranger to being involved in combos, and in this deck, it combines with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Screams from Within" href="#" target="_blank">Screams from Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani&#039;s Chosen" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani&#039;s Chosen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Viscera Seer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Screams from Within"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani&#039;s Chosen"></div></div>
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With the three of those cards together, you get a number of infinite conditions, including infinite scry, infinite enters-the-battlefield triggers for both creatures and Auras, and infinite death triggers. Not too bad.</p>


<p><em>Silverquill Influence </em>boasts 37 lands in the 99, with eight Plains and eight Swamps. The rest of them are primarily dual-color lands of various stripe, though there are a few utility lands to be aware of:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Lighthouse" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Lighthouse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bojuka Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Bojuka Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="War Room" href="#" target="_blank">War Room</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Lighthouse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bojuka Bog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="War Room"></div></div>
<p>Arcane Lighthouse in particular is an interesting inclusion, as it allows for opponents' creatures with hexproof to be targetable with your Auras.</p>
<p>As for mana rocks, we've got the bare minimum set that you've come to expect from a precon deck these days:</p>
<ul>
<li><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></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fellwar Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Fellwar Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><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></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talisman of Hierarchy" href="#" target="_blank">Talisman of Hierarchy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Signet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fellwar Stone"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sol Ring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Talisman of Hierarchy"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


<p>The MSRP of <em>Silverquill Influence, </em>as with all <em>Secrets of Strixhaven </em>preconstructed decks, is $49.99.</p>
<p>But what's the real value of the 100 cards contained within?</p>
<p>As is true with all precons upon release, prices of individual cards are subject to change, especially for the 10 new cards. As of April 1, the day of the deck's reveal, it's estimated that to purchase all cards inside as singles would cost roughly $318. If we subtract the 10 new cards, the prices of which are inflated due to preorders, we're left with $198.</p>
<p>That's a pretty good deal just for the reprints, of which there are some very solid ones. The five highest-value reprints are:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Land Tax" href="#" target="_blank">Land Tax</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkshield" href="#" target="_blank">Inkshield</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Songbirds&#039; Blessing" href="#" target="_blank">Songbirds&#039; Blessing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breena, the Demagogue" href="#" target="_blank">Breena, the Demagogue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Lighthouse" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Lighthouse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Land Tax"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inkshield"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Songbirds&#039; Blessing"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breena, the Demagogue"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Lighthouse"></div></div>
<p>Land tax alone is nearly $30 for the cheapest version, from <em>Battlebond. </em></p>


<p><em>Silverquill Influence </em>is a far cry from the "pile of stuff" decks that we saw when Wizards of the Coast first started printing Commander decks.</p>
<p>Every card feels deliberate and intentional in its inclusion, and the result is a highly tuned, synergistic deck that can hang at most <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bracket 3</a> tables. Its reprints are excellent, its 10 new cards are interesting, and, perhaps most importantly, it'll be a fun experience to pilot.</p>
<p>For all that, it's safe to rate the deck an A-.</p>


<p>If you're looking for the best cards to upgrade your <em>Silverquill Influence</em><em> </em>precon, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/silverquill-influence-precon-upgrade-guide">check out our Upgrade Guide here</a>.</p>


Silverquill Influence - Secrets of Strixhaven Precon Guide

Adapting the Abzan Armor Precon for Different Commander Brackets

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"> (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/katemaxpaint">Ekaterina Burmak</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/dopaprime">Livia Prima</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/evynfong">Evyn Fong</a> )</span></h6>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Hello Friends. I'm Beth, Queen of Cardboard, and I'm here to review the new <em>Wilds of Eldraine Commander</em> precon deck, Fae Dominion. This is a Faerie typal deck, and the face commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, not only pumps your Faeries, but rewards you with card draw when your Faeries die, at the cost of one life. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">As one of two precons from <em>Wilds of Eldraine,</em> this deck features a well known creature type and is strong straight of the box, with plenty of flyers and ways to get in for combat damage. It also features over 20 instant and sorcery cards to thwart your opponents, compared to a measly eight in its partner deck, Virtue and Valor.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Glamorous Fae</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a three-cost Dimir (blue/black) 2/3 Faerie Noble. This relatively inexpensive commander is easy to cast, pumps your other Faeries, and with flying and deathtouch he can be difficult for opponents to deal with. Though he's not very large, he can get in early game for several points of commander damage, or if you'd like to build a board state, he's a creature that can protect your own life total by becoming a deterrent to combat by your opponents. In addition, he lends to great card advantage by providing a card draw for every Faerie death. Since most Faeries are rather cheap to cast, this can be a huge help both early and mid-game. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">It's safe to say that this commander does everything you could want in a typical Faerie deck, but if losing life isn't your style, it's an easy swap for the alternate commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I'd say my only complaint at this point is that there's not a lot of recursion, so you're going to need to rely on your ability to create Faeries to maintain a board state.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Check out the decklist below:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fae Dominion Precon" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Alela, Cunning Conqueror
*1 Archmage of Echoes
*1 Blightwing Bandit
*1 Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft
*1 Cloud of Faeries
*1 Faerie Bladecrafter
*1 Faerie Formation
*1 Faerie Seer
*1 Glen Elendra Archmage
*1 Glen Elendra Liege
*1 Halo Forager
*1 Hullbreaker Horror
*1 Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare
*1 Malleable Impostor
*1 Mocking Sprite
*1 Nettling Nuisance
*1 Nightveil Sprite
*1 Nymris, Oona&#039;s Trickster
*1 Obyra, Dreaming Duelist
*1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
*1 Picklock Prankster // Free the Fae
*1 Puppeteer Clique
*1 Quickling
*1 Rankle, Master of Pranks
*1 Scion of Oona
*1 Shadow Puppeteers
*1 Sower of Temptation
*1 Spellscorn Coven // Take It Back
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Consider
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Fact or Fiction
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Illusionist&#039;s Gambit
*1 Keep Watch
*1 Opt
*1 Perplexing Test
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Reckless Spite
*1 Repulse
*1 Run Away Together
*1 Snap
*1 Spell Stutter
*1 Theoretical Duplication
*1 Thrilling Encore
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Misleading Signpost
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Kindred Dominance
*1 Nightmare Unmaking
*1 Tegwyll&#039;s Scouring
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Reconnaissance Mission
*1 Reflections of Littjara
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Choked Estuary
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darkwater Catacombs
*1 Dimir Aqueduct
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Faerie Conclave
*13 Island
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Secluded Glen
*1 Sunken Hollow
*12 Swamp
*1 Tainted Isle
*1 Temple of Deceit
*1 Temple of the False God
[/Lands]"></span></div>


<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">The deck features many reprints, bringing back several favorites featured in Throne of Eldraine. And new cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spell Stutter" href="#" target="_blank">Spell Stutter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Misleading Signpost" href="#" target="_blank">Misleading Signpost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are just a few fun additions that give you plenty of tricks to overcome your opponents both on the battlefield and off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Let's check out the strengths of this deck together.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Fae Tricksters</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malleable Impostor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nettling Nuisance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blightwing Bandit"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">This deck is full of tricksters and attempts to win by surprising your opponents. Most of the creatures aren't terribly big, so playing it well means tricking your opponent into a disadvantageous play.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">If you've been asking for more removal in your Commander precons, this is the deck for you. The deck features one-sided board wipes, counterspells, and other removal. With cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Dominance" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Dominance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nightmare Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Nightmare Unmaking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snap" href="#" target="_blank">Snap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you'll always have a way to remove a problem.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Adventure cards are also found here, giving extra value with both a non-permanent and permanent spell in one card. Going on an Adventure might not happen often in this deck, but the four included are full of value, with only <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hypnotic Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Hypnotic Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being a fairly vanilla Faerie and providing little to no extra value as a creature. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brazen Borrower" href="#" target="_blank">Brazen Borrower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can come in handy at any time, as its flash ability makes it easy to cast and provides a body on the field in a time of need.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hypnotic Sprite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brazen Borrower"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Picklock Prankster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spellscorn Coven"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">I'll be honest, this deck has a lot going for it. My only complaint is that for a new player, it might have <em>too</em> much going for it. You've got copy spells, combat tricks, life gain, life drain, and a whole lot of cards to play during your opponents' turns. This isn't a bad thing, just something to keep in mind, and when teaching a new player this might not be the deck I reach for. For those who love Faeries or lots of interaction, it's easy to see why this deck has become so popular.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Let's take a look at the other cards that you can use as a commander in this deck.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Cunning Combat</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alela, Cunning Conqueror"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">The alternate commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While she's a little more expensive than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, she rewards you both for casting spells during your opponents' turns and also for dealing combat damage with Faeries. She's a four-cost 2/4 Faerie Warlock that gives you a 1/1 Faerie Rogue for each spell you cast during each opponent's turn <em>and</em> Goads creatures on your opponent's board when your Faeries deal combat damage to them. Supporting her, you have several Faeries with flash, and did I mention the 17 instants in the deck?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quickling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malleable Impostor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scion of Oona"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">This deck is begging you to play cards during your opponents' turns, and the rewards for doing so can completely disrupt any strategy that's thrown your way. If that's not enough, you've got a little surprise in the one non-Fae creature in the list, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hullbreaker Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hullbreaker Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While I'm not a huge fan of cards showing up just because they're good, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hullbreaker Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hullbreaker Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is going to give you lots of value for doing what the deck is trying to do, pester your opponents and distract from your tiny pokes along the way.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">In addition to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you're provided with three other creatures that you could swap in for the commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nymris, Oona&#039;s Trickster" href="#" target="_blank">Nymris, Oona&#039;s Trickster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oona, Queen of the Fae" href="#" target="_blank">Oona, Queen of the Fae</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In my opinion, the only other good option is Obyra.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Obyra is simple, with the ability to drain your opponents when Faeries enter your battlefield. While there are options outside of the deck for this commander that would be smooth, within the precon there are only five cards that deal with life loss. Most of them make <em>you</em> lose life, not your opponents. Only <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Bladecrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Bladecrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps you gain life and, simply put, this strategy is too slow without upgrading or changing the deck entirely. The other two options, Nymris and Oona, are much more expensive mana wise and don't have as much value as either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Cunning Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Cunning Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Faeries are easily one of the favorite typal decks to play, and this precon's popularity has proven that. It far outsells the other <em>Wilds of Eldraine</em> precon deck, Virtue and Valor, at my local game store.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Having played against the deck, I can say that it presents a threat and has a lot of responses for just about any situation. However, without a solid life-draining strategy, and little recursion, I find this deck to be annoying without an easily defined win condition. Yes, it has counterspells, and yes it has removal, but against a deck that also has those things and large creatures or board wipes, these little guys will be stuck in your graveyard, and there's not much to do after that. I write this knowing full well I'm in the minority here, but that's okay.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">If you like this deck but you'd like it to be a little more synergistic, you can check out my Precon Upgrade guide <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/fae-dominion-precon-upgrade-guide/">here</a>.</span></p>


Fae Dominion - Precon Primer

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kardur, Doomscourge" href="#" target="_blank">Kardur, Doomscourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://helgecbalzer.com/">Helge C. Balzer</a>)</h6>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hey friends! It’s time for another precon upgrade guide, courtesy of the Scrap Trawlers. I’m Andy, and today I’ll be showing you how to give a little more pizazz to the Chaos Incarnate Starter Deck. We’ll look at how I added more goad effects, sped the deck up a bit, and increased the pain for our opponents. Let’s perfect the chaos.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the original decklist:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Rakdos starter deck" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kardur, Doomscourge
[/Commander]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Deadly Tempest
*1 Dredge the Mire
*1 Explosion of Riches
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Fiery Confluence
*1 Hate Mirage
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Profane Command
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Reign of the Pit
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Syphon Mind
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Coveted Jewel
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Nihil Spellbomb
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Archfiend of Depravity
*1 Bloodgift Demon
*1 Brash Taunter
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Geode Rager
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Indulgent Tormentor
*1 Kaervek the Merciless
*1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
*1 Magmatic Force
*1 Rakshasa Debaser
*1 Sangromancer
*1 Scythe Specter
*1 Sepulchral Primordial
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Stormfist Crusader
*1 Tectonic Giant
*1 Thermo-Alchemist
*1 Titan Hunter
*1 Vampire Nighthawk
*1 Wildfire Devils
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Breath of Malfegor
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Rakdos Charm
*1 Soul Shatter
*1 Terminate
*1 Unlicensed Disintegration
*1 Wild Ricochet
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Dictate of the Twin Gods
*1 Spiteful Visions
*1 Sunbird&#039;s Invocation
*1 Theater of Horrors
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Akoum Refuge
*1 Bloodfell Caves
*1 Cinder Barrens
*1 Command Tower
*1 Foreboding Ruins
*1 Molten Slagheap
*14 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Stensia Bloodhall
*15 Swamp
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Urborg Volcano
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Disrupt Decorum</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kardur, Doomscourge"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our commander is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kardur, Doomscourge" href="#" target="_blank">Kardur, Doomscourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a demon berserker with a quasi-goad effect when he enters who also drains life from our opponents when attacking creatures die. With Kardur at the helm, we’d expect the deck to be full of ways to force our opponents to attack each other. Sadly, the original list only included a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geode Rager" href="#" target="_blank">Geode Rager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. So we’re upping our goad game, starting with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shiny Impetus" href="#" target="_blank">Shiny Impetus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parasitic Impetus" href="#" target="_blank">Parasitic Impetus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A great way to keep a huge threat off our backs, and super cheap to pick up. And considering how much Wizards loves to drop the Impetus cycle into precons where they don’t fit thematically, you’d think they’d be no-brainers in this deck where they’re perfect. It’s like someone missed a memo here. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disrupt Decorum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shiny Impetus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spectacular Showdown"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course, we’ve gotta throw in the granddaddy of all goad spells, <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>. Man, I remember when this card was around $10, and now, thanks to a few reprints, you can pick it up for under $.50. We’re also adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vengeful Ancestor" href="#" target="_blank">Vengeful Ancestor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for some extra pain and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for some card draw. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodthirsty Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodthirsty Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here as a more versatile (i.e. moveable) Impetus. And a goad coup de grace, straight outta Baldur’s Gate; it’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectacular Showdown" href="#" target="_blank">Spectacular Showdown</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t Come Around Here No More</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The original list included a few ways to deter incoming attacks, with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs" href="#" target="_blank">Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But I wanted to lean into that a bit more, and make doubly sure attacks are going elsewhere. So we’re throwing in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revenge of Ravens" href="#" target="_blank">Revenge of Ravens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Reckoning" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Reckoning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for a “stop hitting yourself” effect. And while we’re at it, maybe we should make it hurt more when opponents attack each other as well. For that, I’ve added <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Calculating Lich" href="#" target="_blank">Calculating Lich</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a new card from The Brothers’ War, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blast-Furnace Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Blast-Furnace Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Calculating Lich"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirage Phalanx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Revenge of Ravens"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just a few more additions. To speed things up a bit, I added a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fellwar Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Fellwar Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for just a little more ramp. I also wanted to have a way to have Kardur keep entering the battlefield. There’s a way to do it that’s a bit more expensive, which we’ll get to in a minute, and there’s the more budget-friendly way, which is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirage Phalanx" href="#" target="_blank">Mirage Phalanx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Just bond the Phalanx to Kardur, and you’ll get a new Kardur effect every turn. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last, we need to have a little more insurance against the “goad problem.” And by that I mean the fact that goad becomes really bad after two players have been knocked out. When you’re the only player to attack, your final opponent will have no choice but to come at you. So to give us a little breathing room I’ve added <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sudden Spoiling" href="#" target="_blank">Sudden Spoiling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While it’s only a one-time effect, hopefully it’ll give you just enough space to sneak in and deal the final blow.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Get Gone</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now it’s time for cuts! Even with a high average MV, 40 lands is just a bit much. So we’re showing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stensia Bloodhall" href="#" target="_blank">Stensia Bloodhall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> the door, and replacing it with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fellwar Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Fellwar Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Bloodhall has no business being in a multiplayer deck. Do you really wanna pay 5 mana (6 if you count the Bloodhall itself) to deal 2 damage to one player when you’ve gotta deal 120 to win the game? No, you do not.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stensia Bloodhall"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magmatic Force"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadly Tempest"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I made a few cuts simply based on mana cost, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sepulchral Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Sepulchral Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Explosion of Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Explosion of Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magmatic Force" href="#" target="_blank">Magmatic Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunbird’s Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Sunbird’s Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scythe Specter" href="#" target="_blank">Scythe Specter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. All decent cards, but they needed to go to either lower the curve or make way for better high-cost cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blast-Furnace Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Blast-Furnace Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sepulchral Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Sepulchral Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was part of a recursion package that just didn’t fit with the theme of the deck, and I cut <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Profane Command" href="#" target="_blank">Profane Command</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the same reason. The instants/sorceries theme cards are all getting binned, since it’s not what the deck is doing. So out goes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thermo-Alchemist" href="#" target="_blank">Thermo-Alchemist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wildfire Devils" href="#" target="_blank">Wildfire Devils</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’re not making enough creatures to really benefit from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titan Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Titan Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so it’s gone. Joining it are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sangromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Sangromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hate Mirage" href="#" target="_blank">Hate Mirage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because I just couldn’t find a reason to keep them.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">We Spared No Expense</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Okay, some of you have deep pockets and wanna fill this starter deck with all kinds of expensive replacements, so here’s a few recommendations.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conjurer&#039;s Closet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Market Connections"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood for the Blood God!"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conjurer’s Closet" href="#" target="_blank">Conjurer’s Closet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is Kardur’s best friend. It’s also, unfortunately, around $7 to buy. But definitely worth it if you can afford it. Along those same lines, we’ll add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Beacon" href="#" target="_blank">Command Beacon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The land is here to save the day if Kardur is in the zone and has too much tax on him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cunning Rhetoric" href="#" target="_blank">Cunning Rhetoric</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great attack deterrent that provides card advantage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market Connections" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market Connections</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska’s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska’s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can both speed up your game considerably. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood for the Blood God!" href="#" target="_blank">Blood for the Blood God!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will give you a fresh hand and some fresh torment for your opponents. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, if it makes you happy, you can go crazy with tutors like: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vampiric Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Vampiric Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Final Thoughts</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the updated decklist:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Rakdos starter deck Upgrades" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kardur, Doomscourge
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bloodthirsty Blade
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Coveted Jewel
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Nihil Spellbomb
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Archfiend of Depravity
*1 Blast-Furnace Hellkite
*1 Bloodgift Demon
*1 Brash Taunter
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Calculating Lich
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Geode Rager
*1 Indulgent Tormentor
*1 Kaervek the Merciless
*1 Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
*1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
*1 Mirage Phalanx
*1 Rakshasa Debaser
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Stormfist Crusader
*1 Tectonic Giant
*1 Vampire Nighthawk
*1 Vengeful Ancestor
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Disrupt Decorum
*1 Dredge the Mire
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Fiery Confluence
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Reign of the Pit
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Spectacular Showdown
*1 Syphon Mind
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Breath of Malfegor
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Rakdos Charm
*1 Soul Shatter
*1 Sudden Spoiling
*1 Terminate
*1 Unlicensed Disintegration
*1 Wild Ricochet
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Blood Reckoning
*1 Dictate of the Twin Gods
*1 Parasitic Impetus
*1 Revenge of Ravens
*1 Shiny Impetus
*1 Spiteful Visions
*1 Theater of Horrors
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Akoum Refuge
*1 Bloodfell Caves
*1 Cinder Barrens
*1 Command Tower
*1 Foreboding Ruins
*1 Molten Slagheap
*14 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*15 Swamp
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Urborg Volcano
[/Lands]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
[/Planeswalkers]"></span></div>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We upgraded 14 cards for under $10, and lowered the average mana value from 4.00 to 3.84. Not a huge dent, but it’s hard to effect that without a bigger overhaul. The updated list is more thematic, synergistic, and focused. Which is exactly what we want for our precons!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s it for Chaos Incarnate! What’d you think of my upgrades? How do you feel about the Starter Decks? Leave a comment below with your thoughts. You can also hit us up on <a href="https://twitter.com/scraptrawlers">Twitter</a>, or catch us making budget content on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/scraptrawlers">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/scraptrawlers">Twitch</a>. Stay tuned for more on the Starter Decks, and keep checking back whenever new precons are released. Until next time, remember to budget…before you buy it.</span></p>


precon guide

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Chaos Incarnate - Upgrade Guide