<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.stevenbelledin.com/">Steven Belledin</a>)</h6>
<h1>After the Gold Rush</h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome back to <em>Grapple With the Past</em>, a series in which we look back at the set pages for old releases to discuss the cards that made it and the cards that fell into obscurity in EDH. Once a set releases, Commander players write and read reviews, test out the new cards, and incorporate winners into their EDH repertoire. But with the constant stream of new products, it’s easy for cards to slip through the cracks. I’ve found that by exploring set pages on EDHREC, I frequently stumble upon cards that could easily find a spot in one of my decks. In this series we look for irregularities in the data, try to identify sleeper cards from formats past, and discuss the legacy of particular sets in Commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unscythe, Killer of Kings"></div></div>
<p>Today we're looking back to <em>Alara Reborn</em>, a set that I return to every few years. This set pitched itself as<em> the</em> definitive multicolor release. Every single card in this set is gold. No lands. No colorless artifacts. While this was and remains a gimmick, it led to intriguing design. Just look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unscythe, Killer of Kings" href="#" target="_blank">Unscythe, Killer of Kings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example. This Equipment is indicative of the bizarre nature of the set as a whole: it's an artifact with four colored pips in its casting cost, split up across three colors. In EDH, this means that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unscythe, Killer of Kings" href="#" target="_blank">Unscythe, Killer of Kings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can only be played in Grixis decks with good mana-fixing. Beyond that, what Grixis deck wants this Equipment, or any Equipment beyond <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p><em>Alara Reborn</em> is alluring exactly for the questions that it raises and refuses answer. To me, this set has the same elusive flavor as<em> Future Sight</em>. There are powerful and interesting cards that suggest a world to come that is still unimagined. Even eleven years later, I'm unsure where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unscythe, Killer of Kings" href="#" target="_blank">Unscythe, Killer of Kings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits, or whether it could ever find a home in our format. I feel the same about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fight to the Death" href="#" target="_blank">Fight to the Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and several other cards here. Let's dive in.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Commander Class</h2>
<p>As far as commanders go, this set is actually fairly tame. The most salient common factor here is that the most popular among them are annoying to play against. Even if the commander options presented in this set aren't overpowered, some of them do affect the table in abrasive ways. Who really likes playing against <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sen Triplets" href="#" target="_blank">Sen Triplets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sen Triplets"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Uril, the Miststalker"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sen Triplets" href="#" target="_blank">Sen Triplets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be frustrating both for its ability to strip opponents' hands as well as its pseudo-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Telepathy" href="#" target="_blank">Telepathy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect. Then we get to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Uril, the Miststalker" href="#" target="_blank">Uril, the Miststalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Bogle incarnate. Voltron as a strategy may not win games very often, but Uril decks can fairly efficiently remove at least one player on a whim. The other commanders present here are a bit underwhelming: high-costed and not particularly worth it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund" href="#" target="_blank">Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might make it big one day, but it needs a new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspiracy" href="#" target="_blank">Conspiracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect that turns all of your <em>opponents'</em> creatures into Dragons as well. Until then, it'll do as a conventional Dragon tribal commander.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Top 10</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maelstrom Pulse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Qasali Pridemage"></div></div>
<p>I am not a fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Pulse" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Pulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I was slightly surprised to see that it's so highly played. It has never been included in a Commander product and is not frequently reprinted. When I first started playing EDH, I arrived with the preconception that versatile, sorcery-speed removal would be the best in the format. I bought a couple copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vindicate" href="#" target="_blank">Vindicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and traded for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Pulse" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Pulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, neither of which were cheap at the time. Now, years later, I've found that I vastly prefer the versatility of instant-speed to the versatility of hitting more permanent types. Yes, I like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortify" href="#" target="_blank">Mortify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> better than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vindicate" href="#" target="_blank">Vindicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Putrefy" href="#" target="_blank">Putrefy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> better than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Pulse" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Pulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maelstrom Nexus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wargate"></div></div>
<p>Also in the top ten, we find cards that illustrate the skew toward cards of three or more colors that exists on EDHREC. By percentage, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wargate" href="#" target="_blank">Wargate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> see play in 7% and 6% of possible decks, respectively, and they're the first and third most-played cards from <em>Alara Reborn</em>, respectively. In total number of decks, however, they only see play in 2,146 and 3,208 decks, respeectively. In between them, the second most-played card from the set is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Qasali Pridemage" href="#" target="_blank">Qasali Pridemage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which sees play in 6,102 decks, or 7% of possible decks. Although it sees play in nearly three times as many decks as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Qasali Pridemage" href="#" target="_blank">Qasali Pridemage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> it is less represented on EDHREC This isn't a mistake, and is a better way to present this data, but it is a skew to keep in mind when using EDHREC as a resource.</p>
<p>As cards, these are three stellar options in their colors. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is obviously highly restricted by its identity, but it provides an enormously powerful effect. The first spell you play on each turn, including your opponents', you draw and play a spell for free. All for five mana. I would play this in nearly every five-color deck I make. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Qasali Pridemage" href="#" target="_blank">Qasali Pridemage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good role-player in creature-based decks, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wargate" href="#" target="_blank">Wargate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an extremely powerful tutor that could probably find a home in any Bant deck.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Think Twice</h2>
<p>As I alluded to earlier,<em> Alara Reborn</em> is speckled with hidden gems waiting to be found. I feel like every time I visit the set's page, I find more cards that I want to pick up and jam into a deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul Manipulation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tainted Sigil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigil Captain"></div></div>
<p>Three such cards can be found above. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Manipulation" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Manipulation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the better counterspells that nobody plays. Sure, it costs three mana, and it only counters creatures, but it exists almost in its own category. This is a value spell that trips an opponent while replacing itself in your hand. This card is like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exclude" href="#" target="_blank">Exclude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another underrated counterspell, but better in the right decks, because you can be selective about the card you return to your hand. Nobody likes a three-mana counterspell, but sometimes they aren't bad.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tainted Sigil" href="#" target="_blank">Tainted Sigil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, on the other hand, is one of the best lifegain cards that has ever been printed. Lump sum lifegain can be underwhelming in our format because it doesn't scale as well to four-player games. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tainted Sigil" href="#" target="_blank">Tainted Sigil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, however, is the exception. This card can be used to deter and negate a big attack on your life total, capitalize on another player being hit hard, or cap off your own drain strategy. I play this card alongside <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and it does not disappoint, often gaining twenty or more life.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a powerhouse in my Selesnya tokens decks, and it often reminds me of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathars&#039; Crusade" href="#" target="_blank">Cathars&#039; Crusade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Crusade has a higher ceiling and can spiral your board out of control, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a higher floor and is no slouch in its own right. It can give token strategies a significant kickstart or bolster +1/+1 decks that focus heavily on 1/1 creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flurry of Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigil of the Nayan Gods"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Necromancer&#039;s Covenant"></div></div>
<p>Mitch from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-w5MNByr4SNy3z2232sj0g">Commander's Quarters</a> mentioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flurry of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Flurry of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy_oS_7e4GI">video</a> last year, but the extra exposure hasn't yet translated into increased popularity on EDHREC. It only sees play in 479 decks, 1% of the possible. This card is the real deal, though, and is one of the better armies in a can in the format. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flurry of Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Flurry of Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just so versatile: you can use it to produce a squad of chump blockers, or make a board from nothing. You can use it when you attack with your own creatures, or wait for your opponents to attack either you or each other. Combine this with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for maximum effect.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil of the Nayan Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil of the Nayan Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a confusing card that lacks a clear direction. Do you want to go wide or tall? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overrun" href="#" target="_blank">Overrun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> your opponents, or knock them out one by one with a single creature? That's part of the beauty of this card, you can do either. And if you don't want to, cycle it for just one mana! Try this out with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shanna, Sisay&#039;s Legacy" href="#" target="_blank">Shanna, Sisay&#039;s Legacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necromancer&#039;s Covenant" href="#" target="_blank">Necromancer&#039;s Covenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a garishly expensive form of graveyard hate, and it only exiles creature cards. The true power of this card, though, is what it can do in Zombie decks. Yet another army in a can, this card can build an imposing board without much effort. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Varina, Lich Queen" href="#" target="_blank">Varina, Lich Queen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, in particular, reaps huge benefits from giving your Zombies lifelink, which almost earns the card its slot by itself.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Identity Crisis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sages of the Anima"></div></div>
<p>I imagine people have two aversions to playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Identity Crisis" href="#" target="_blank">Identity Crisis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. First, this card only targets one opponent. Second, it is an undeniably mean card. I had these reservations when I first found a copy in my collection. But, after playing with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Identity Crisis" href="#" target="_blank">Identity Crisis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for several years, I think it has an often misunderstood purpose in our format. This is a punishment card. This is the vinegar to Group Hug's honey. Verbal threats can be a powerful tool in EDH, but they need to be substantive. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Identity Crisis" href="#" target="_blank">Identity Crisis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best cards available to back up your threats. Think of it like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="River&#039;s Rebuke" href="#" target="_blank">River&#039;s Rebuke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Rebuke has less sheer power in EDH than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crush of Tentacles" href="#" target="_blank">Crush of Tentacles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but these comparisons are slightly facetious because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="River&#039;s Rebuke" href="#" target="_blank">River&#039;s Rebuke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should be used more as punishment than removal. If somebody crosses you, it is valuable to punish them specifically.</p>
<p>Switching gears, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sages of the Anima" href="#" target="_blank">Sages of the Anima</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems like it should be very good. I've picked up several copies over the years without any particular deck in mind. I still haven't found the right home for it, but I have faith that one day, I will play it, I will draw three cards two turns in a row, and it will all have been worth it.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Up Next</h2>
<p>That was <em>Alara Reborn</em>, one of the most perplexing and compelling sets to contemplate as a whole. What do you all make of this set? Did I miss any good one? Let me know in the comments below! Next time, we'll be digging into <em>Planar Chaos</em>, a set that broke the barriers of the color pie. In Commander, a format of color identity, how does this expansion of effects available to each color impact our decks? Tune in next week to read my take and chime in. Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. I’ll see you all on down the road.</p>


Grapple With the Past - Alara Reborn

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rienne, Angel of Rebirth" href="#" target="_blank">Rienne, Angel of Rebirth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.kieranyanner.com/">Kieran Yanner</a>)</h6>
<h1>Another Day, Another Rebirth</h1>
<p>Hello, everyone! Welcome back to another installment of the <em>Underdog’s Corner!</em> If you haven't joined me before, this is where I discuss a commander that may be overlooked or underplayed and shine a spotlight on them to give them a fighting chance. This week I'm delving into one of the legends from <em>Core Set</em> <em>2020!</em> We received an entire cycle of new wedge-colored legendary creatures, which is incredibly exciting!</p>
<p>However, I'm not looking to discuss any of those five. Our legend today is the lone shard-colored commander from the set, the Buy-a-Box promo, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rienne, Angel of Rebirth" href="#" target="_blank">Rienne, Angel of Rebirth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! With a total of 39 decks at the time of writing, Rienne stands above only <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atemsis, All-Seeing" href="#" target="_blank">Atemsis, All-Seeing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drakuseth, Maw of Flames" href="#" target="_blank">Drakuseth, Maw of Flames</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> among the twelve legends of <em>Core Set 2020</em>. Let's see what Rienne's all about.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Rienne, Angel of Rebirth</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rienne, Angel of Rebirth"></div></div>
<p>While the <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/limited-information/tools-trade-2015-06-17">Vanilla Test</a> is hardly a way to evaluate a commander, it's still helpful as a survivability metric. Rienne passes it with flying colors as a five-mana 5/4 flyer, giving us a powerful attacker and blocker when the need arises. I consider five mana to be the bottom of the curve for expensive commanders, but since Rienne has green in her color identity, we should be able to play her multiple times in a game without worry. We'll actually be able to double down on this with her abilities.</p>
<h4><strong>Other multicolored creatures you control get +1/+0.</strong></h4>
<h4><strong>Whenever another multicolored creature you control dies, return it to its owner’s hand at the beginning of the next end step.</strong></h4>
<p>Rienne cares about multicolored creatures through and through, which gives us a direction and a restriction at the same time. One avenue we could explore is leaning into her as an additional anthem-lite effect for an aggro build. Her second ability could then be a safety net for the eventual Wrath that snuffs out aggro's chances. A decent direction, but not the one we're exploring today. I'm personally going to look into how we can get the most out of her second ability.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Not Quite Necromancy</h2>
<p>How can Rienne's colors help us? While she lacks the most prominent and powerful color for recursion, green and white are the second and third best colors for recurring creatures from the graveyard, even if it's to our hand. We'll also need to remember that Rienne's specific brand of recursion is limited to multicolored creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Painter&#039;s Servant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scuttlemutt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Saffi Eriksdotter"></div></div>
<p>If we want a janky angle, we can include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scuttlemutt" href="#" target="_blank">Scuttlemutt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or the recently-unbanned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Painter&#039;s Servant" href="#" target="_blank">Painter&#039;s Servant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to have the opportunity to recur all of our creatures. That's not going to be consistent, so we won't want to rely heavily on that.</p>
<p>Let's therefore discuss a card that is simply perfect for Rienne. I've talked about a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saffi Eriksdotter" href="#" target="_blank">Saffi Eriksdotter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck in my series <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/underdogs-corner-saffi-eriksdotter/">before</a>, but she is more often played in the 99, either as a combo enabler or as a powerful support piece. For two mana, we can recur any creature on the battlefield if it dies at the cost of sacrificing Saffi. This can be a protective measure or a means to accelerate value, depending on our board state. We can even protect Rienne with this ability and still return Saffi at our end step.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Stay Gold</h2>
<p>With Rienne's focus on multicolored creatures, we're starting with a broad spectrum of choices. We can choose to run the best overall multicolored creatures we have access to, or we can pick a theme and focus on it. Cards in either direction will overlap, but it gives us direction. For this article, I'm going to focus on a "value" build, namely creatures with "enters/leaves the battlefield" abilities or those with self-sacrifice effects. We'll want to double up on these abilities.</p>
<p>Rienne's EDHREC page gives us a nice head start on this venture.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dauntless Escort"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loxodon Hierarch"></div></div>
<p>First up we have a suite of protection for our creatures. Returning our creatures en masse is a great boon, but sometimes we don't want to be hit by that tempo disadvantage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dauntless Escort" href="#" target="_blank">Dauntless Escort</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loxodon Hierarch" href="#" target="_blank">Loxodon Hierarch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ask our opponents to either remove them before casting a Wrath, or to have a Wrath effect that circumvents their protection. For a creature-heavy build, I think these will be mainstays.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Qasali Pridemage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knight of Autumn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duergar Hedge-Mage"></div></div>
<p>Remember when I said we were going to bring the value? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Qasali Pridemage" href="#" target="_blank">Qasali Pridemage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight of Autumn" href="#" target="_blank">Knight of Autumn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duergar Hedge-Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Duergar Hedge-Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harmonic Sliver" href="#" target="_blank">Harmonic Sliver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vithian Renegades" href="#" target="_blank">Vithian Renegades</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all give us access to sources of repeatable removal for a total cost of three mana each. Having access to artifact and enchantment removal is never a bad thing. While the rate may not be exceptional, we'll have ways to make each of these count.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodbraid Elf"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zacama, Primal Calamity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gruul Ragebeast"></div></div>
<p>We also have access to impactful effects that we will want to repeat over and over. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodbraid Elf" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodbraid Elf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't as powerful in Commander as it is in Modern, being able to get a four-mana <em>Cascade</em> each turn will help us turn the corner and pull off a victory. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zacama, Primal Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Zacama, Primal Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't immediately strike me as a card we'd want to spend each of our turns recasting, but the longer a game runs, the more powerful Zacama's ability becomes. Casting Zacama with lands that create more than one mana can also provide us with a net gain on mana, turning the card into a very expensive ritual which can help fuel massively swingy turns. Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gruul Ragebeast" href="#" target="_blank">Gruul Ragebeast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns each of our creatures into potential kill spells. With Rienne out, not only can we throw our creatures into battle immediately just to get them back, but her buffing ability also allows them to punch above their weight class.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Digging for Gold</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evolutionary Leap"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Greater Good"></div></div>
<p>Since our gameplan is to proactively recur our creatures, we'll need sacrifice outlets. For the most part, we can get away with running some of the usual suspects, but there are a few I'd prioritize. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greater Good" href="#" target="_blank">Greater Good</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the first I'll mention since it lets us draw through our deck. Notably, we get a small bump from Rienne's ability as we get to draw an additional card from the power boost. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolutionary Leap" href="#" target="_blank">Evolutionary Leap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a mainstay in almost every green deck I have, and it's even better here. We get to recast creatures for more value, and we get to draw another creature to loop.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark-Dweller Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birthing Pod"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark-Dweller Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Dark-Dweller Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit of an outlier, but additional sac outlets that don't have obvious homes is something that I look for. After that, we have the ever-powerful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birthing Pod" href="#" target="_blank">Birthing Pod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Yes, I would like to have access to several chains at any given point.</p>
<hr />
<h2>A Magic Goldberg Machine</h2>
<p>I want to talk about a pair of cards that currently appears in zero <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rienne, Angel of Rebirth" href="#" target="_blank">Rienne, Angel of Rebirth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The first is fun, and the second is more powerful.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desecrated Tomb"></div></div>
<p>I've always wanted to find a home for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Desecrated Tomb" href="#" target="_blank">Desecrated Tomb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and out of sheer luck, Rienne happens to work spectacularly with it. Thankfully, Rienne triggers for each creature, so we get a Bat token for each creature that gets returned by her ability. That's not the most impactful effect in the world, but being able to potentially churn out several tokens for free each turn is certainly noteworthy.</p>
<p>Now let's talk about the powerhouse pick for the article.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aluren"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aluren" href="#" target="_blank">Aluren</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the more powerful cards in <em>Magic</em>, and it even has an entire Legacy deck named after it. It allows each player to cast creatures with a converted mana cost of three or less without paying their mana costs, and as though they had flash! With Rienne and a sac outlet, we can cast and recur each of our low-drop gold creatures once a turn. That's insanely powerful.</p>
<p>On the low end of power we can cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight of Autumn" href="#" target="_blank">Knight of Autumn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and gain 16 life each round. We could also sacrifice Saffi each turn to recur a creature that is much larger. Since we're also still casting creatures with this effect, we can trigger <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karametra, God of Harvests" href="#" target="_blank">Karametra, God of Harvests</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that many times as well. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aluren" href="#" target="_blank">Aluren</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> opens up an absurd number of lines that players can customize.</p>
<p>One thing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aluren" href="#" target="_blank">Aluren</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shows us as well is the power of flash in this deck. Repeated effects are powerful, but getting them outside of our turn is even better, turning our creature-based, normally-sorcery-speed-only deck into a trickier problem for our enemies. This makes cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yeva, Nature&#039;s Herald" href="#" target="_blank">Yeva, Nature&#039;s Herald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vedalken Orrery" href="#" target="_blank">Vedalken Orrery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivien, Champion of the Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Vivien, Champion of the Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a little more potent in our deck.</p>
<p>Aluren isn't the only crazy interaction we get to include though.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Realm Razer"></div></div>
<p>Let me summarize the following section, briefly. If this card's ETB resolves with Rienne and a sacrifice outlet on board, and our opponents are not able to remove any of the pieces with their floating mana, the game will effectively end. They can attempt to fight through it, but it will be mostly miserable. This is assuming that we (as the Rienne player) won't die to effects that are already on board.</p>
<p>When <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Realm Razer" href="#" target="_blank">Realm Razer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enters the battlefield, it exiles all lands. Everyone's mana production is then tied to any mana rocks that are left in play (which we'll hopefully have been targeting with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight of Autumn" href="#" target="_blank">Knight of Autumn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects over the earlier parts of the game). If Realm Razer resolves, the remainder of the game will follow a similar pattern. When we gain priority before moving to the end step of the opponent's turn prior to ours, we sacrifice Realm Razer to whatever sac outlet we have. This returns all exiled lands to the battlefield tapped. At the beginning of the end step, Rienne will return Realm Razer to our hand. We will then untap, with all of our opponents being tapped out, aside from any lands they played on their turn. We can then repeat this loop every turn. We can attack with Rienne each turn to deal lethal commander damage over the course of the next several turns, or we can continue to draw into other cards to hasten this kill condition. While it's not quite infinite, this combo is very likely to end the game.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Naya Reborn</h2>
<p>I hope you have enjoyed a brief look at this incredibly intriguing Naya commander. While she quickly got overlooked in the face of an entire new cycle of wedge-colored legends, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rienne, Angel of Rebirth" href="#" target="_blank">Rienne, Angel of Rebirth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> offers a novel way to approach her color combination. While I covered a few distinct interactions and cards, there is still so much left to be discovered, and I hope someone out in the world dives in and really discovers all of what can make her great. For now though, I leave you with a deck with a few of my ideas.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Giving Naya New Life" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Rienne, Angel of Rebirth
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Armada Wurm
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Bloodbraid Elf
*1 Brion Stoutarm
*1 Dark-Dweller Oracle
*1 Dauntless Escort
*1 Duergar Hedge-Mage
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Figure of Destiny
*1 Fleecemane Lion
*1 Gahiji, Honored One
*1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
*1 Gruul Ragebeast
*1 Harmonic Sliver
*1 Karametra, God of Harvests
*1 Karmic Guide
*1 Knight of Autumn
*1 Loxodon Hierarch
*1 Painter&#039;s Servant
*1 Qasali Pridemage
*1 Ravager Wurm
*1 Realm Razer
*1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
*1 Saffi Eriksdotter
*1 Scuttlemutt
*1 Seedborn Muse
*1 Sunder Shaman
*1 Vithian Renegades
*1 Voice of Resurgence
*1 Wild Cantor
*1 Xenagos, God of Revels
*1 Yeva, Nature&#039;s Herald
*1 Zacama, Primal Calamity
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*1 Altar of Dementia
*1Desecrated Tomb
*1 Glass of the Guildpact
*1 Vedalken Orrery
[/Artifact]
[Instant]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Brought Back
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Krosan Grip
*1 Naya Charm
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
[/Instant]
[Enchantment]
*1 Aluren
*1 Evolutionary Leap
*1 Goblin Bombardment
*1 Greater Good
*1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
*1 Wilderness Reclamation
[/Enchantment]
[Sorcery]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Cultivate
*1 Farseek
*1 Hour of Devastation
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Skyshroud Claim
[/Sorcery]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Domri, Anarch of Bolas
*1 Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
[/Planeswalker]
[Land]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Bountiful Promenade
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Emergence Zone
*8 Forest
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Jungle Shrine
*1 Karplusan Forest
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*6 Mountain
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*5 Plains
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*1 Temple Garden
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Thanks for joining me in the <em>Underdog's Corner</em>!</p>


qasali pridemage

Grapple With the Past - Alara Reborn

Underdog's Corner - Rienne, Angel of Rebirth