<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strefan, Maurer Progenitor" href="#" target="_blank">Strefan, Maurer Progenitor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.rallisart.com/">Chris Rallis</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's take a look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strefan, Maurer Progenitor" href="#" target="_blank">Strefan, Maurer Progenitor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Strefan, Maurer Progenitor"></div></div>
<p>Blood tokens, like Clue tokens, are a super fun mechanic! Creating a bunch of useful artifacts is great, and there's a lot that we can do with them, such as using them to fuel graveyard-matters strategies or artifact-based strategies. The color pairing of BR is perfect for these types of artifact-token strategies, so having a commander that generates a ton of them is a very solid starting point. It's worth noting that this ability only triggers at the end of our turn, which means that many traditional 'punisher' effects in red don't directly interact with Strefan. However, some of them can allow us to ping ourselves for that fourth token.</p>
<p>Strefan's attack trigger is just as powerful as his first ability, allowing us to cheat Vampires into play. If you ever played Standard when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was legal, you know how strong cheating a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion of Dusk" href="#" target="_blank">Champion of Dusk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be in the right shell, and with the whole Vampire pool to choose from, this type of ability is even more powerful. With enough support, it's very easy to consistently hit people without much mana investment. As if that isn't impressive enough, we can also build around type-changing cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspiracy" href="#" target="_blank">Conspiracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and use this ability to cheat out any creature that we want!</p>
<p>All in all, Strefan is an interesting build-around commander that has a lot of potential even outside of his intended tribal shell.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Igniter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Approach"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knollspine Dragon"></div></div>
<p>One of the many upsides of having so many cheap discard outlets (Blood tokens) is the ability to set up our graveyard. [elDragon's Approach[/el] is a great enabler for a Dragon-tastic strategy, one that also gets enabled by Strefan's ability. Damage means Blood, Blood means filtering, filtering means a bigger yard and more toys to play with. This duo synergy makes for a consistent strategy, where one part sets up our draw, while the other acts as our finisher.</p>
<p>Let's talk about Dragons. In a shell that pumps out this many artifacts, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Igniter" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Igniter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> becomes a fast clock, especially since we can often get it into play for three mana with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon&#039;s Approach" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon&#039;s Approach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, leaving more mana aside for us to use that pump effect multiple times! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can also be a reasonable win condition, since we'll make so many artifacts with our commander! Even when we can't threaten to win the game with it, we can still use it to steal our opponents' artifacts, and it's always useful to acquire more utility artifacts and mana rocks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knollspine Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Knollspine Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great target for when we're trying to recover, as our deck already tends to deal consistent damage to our opponents, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good mid-range option for when we want to get value across multiple turns.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ankh of Mishra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampaging Ferocidon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sulfuric Vortex"></div></div>
<p>Our Dragons are good at dealing huge bursts of damage, but they're not all able to one-shot an opponent, so we also have to set the stage for their arrival by lowering enemy life totals before any winged beasts arrive. One effective way to help lower everyone's life total is to play a few hate pieces that provide a constant clock to our opponents. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ankh of Mishra" href="#" target="_blank">Ankh of Mishra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burning Earth" href="#" target="_blank">Burning Earth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manabarbs" href="#" target="_blank">Manabarbs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are a good way to punish players for going bigger than us. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harsh Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Harsh Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immolation Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Immolation Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great at slowing down some specific strategies, such as Aristocrats, while also being generally useful for minor punishments here and there, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampaging Ferocidon" href="#" target="_blank">Rampaging Ferocidon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sulfuric Vortex" href="#" target="_blank">Sulfuric Vortex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great ways to ensure that all of our damage is permanent. Even if some of these cards don't always reliably trigger our commander's Blood generation, they work great at controlling the pace of the game.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Strefan&#039;s Approach" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Strefan, Maurer Progenitor
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Firebrand Archer
*Harsh Mentor
*Immolation Shaman
*Kessig Flamebreather
*Reckless Fireweaver
*Glint-Horn Buccaneer
*Rampaging Ferocidon
*Fathom Fleet Swordjack
*Hellkite Tyrant
*Hellkite Igniter
*Knollspine Dragon
*Utvara Hellkite
[/Creature]
[Sorcery]
*26 Dragon&#039;s Approach
*Damnation
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Instant]
*Price of Progress
*Terminate
*Chaos Warp
[/Instant]
[Land]
*Arid Mesa
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*City of Brass
*Command Tower
*Mana Confluence
*Polluted Delta
*Prismatic Vista
*Scalding Tarn
*Smoldering Marsh
*Sulfurous Springs
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Wooded Foothills
*18 Mountain
*6 Swamp
[/Land]
[Enchantment]
*Roiling Vortex
*Ghirapur Aether Grid
*Spellshock
*Sulfuric Vortex
*Burning Earth
*Mana Barbs
*Triskaidekaphobia[/Enchantment]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Ankh of Mishra
*Arcane Signet
*Dragonspark Reactor
*Fellwar Stone
*Lightning Greaves
*Oni-Cult Anvil
*Rakdos Signet
*Ruby Medallion
*Swiftfoot Boots
*Talisman of Indulgence
*Cryptolith Fragment
[/Artifact]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Besides <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon&#039;s Approach" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon&#039;s Approach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we still have some 'poking' effects to trigger our commander as much as possible. While their damage output will be severely limited, their main purpose is to make sure that we're able to continue getting Blood tokens even while developing our board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firebrand Archer" href="#" target="_blank">Firebrand Archer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Flamebreather" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Flamebreather</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are solid creatures because they're cheap enough to be played on curve with our other Slug pieces (and our commander). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triskaidekaphobia" href="#" target="_blank">Triskaidekaphobia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit on the expensive side, but it more than makes up by allowing us to get the full four tokens every turn (and it can even act as an alternative win condition).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonspark Reactor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oni-Cult Anvil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glint-Horn Buccaneer"></div></div>
<p>Strefan is one of those commanders that benefit greatly from having a dedicated support suite. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oni-Cult Anvil" href="#" target="_blank">Oni-Cult Anvil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great artifact, providing a constant stream of bodies and life that helps us get around aggression. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspark Reactor" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspark Reactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works very similarly to a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireball" href="#" target="_blank">Fireball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but it has the benefit of growing in damage without having to invest mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glint-Horn Buccaneer" href="#" target="_blank">Glint-Horn Buccaneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Fireweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Fireweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are fast sources of chip damage, which, unlike the aforementioned sources, have the benefit of being either cheaper or more effective than their competition. However, they do tend to be a bit more unreliable when it comes to triggering Strefan's ability, so watch out for that!</p>
<hr />
<div id="mtgh_7dde8" class="mtgh">
<div class="header">
<div>
<h2>Methodology</h2>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mtgh_f554a" class="mtgh">
<p>For opening hands, we're mostly looking to start creating our precious Blood tokens ASAP. This means we're trying to get our commander out as soon as possible. In the early game, we need to set up for our commander, either with ramp or an early damage enabler, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Flamebreather" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Flamebreather</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We'll be set once we start creating Blood tokens, so we shouldn't be afraid of sacrificing a few to dig for more cards.</p>
<p>By the mid-game, we should be very close to triggering <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon&#039;s Approach" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon&#039;s Approach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and we may even use Blood to get some extra Approaches into the graveyard early to help us hit their threshhold as quickly as possible. Choosing a good target for the first Approach payoff is key to maintaining pressure throughout the game. If we think our opponents lack removal, we can opt for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If we have a few Blood tokens around, we can pick <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Igniter" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Igniter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. At this stage, the damage that we've done with our hate pieces starts piling on, so it's important to find as soon as possible a way to finish off some of our opponents - otherwise they might gang on us.</p>
<p>Our deck the explosive power found in many other strategies, so the late game can be challenging if we're in top deck mode. Try to keep up persistent pressure, and find an opening for a late-game Approach to shake up the table if you find yourself in a board stall.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bladewing the Risen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stinkweed Imp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="War&#039;s Toll"></div></div>
<p>Non-singleton decks tend to be a bit slot-intensive, so keep this in mind when adding new cards to this deck, or trying out a few tweaks to the list! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bladewing the Risen" href="#" target="_blank">Bladewing the Risen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good addition to the Dragon suite, as it allows us to discard Dragons when we draw them without that much concern. Since we have a graveyard-based synergy and do a lot of looting, it isn't a stretch to want to include a few <em>Dredge </em>cards, either. A few of those might allow us to reduce the numbers of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon&#039;s Approach" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon&#039;s Approach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> needed in the 99, since we can get four into the graveyard more quickly that way. Adjusting our Group Slug pieces is another fun way to give this deck some variance too, and there are tons of interesting punisher cards out there to choose from.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this Epic Experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Strefan

Archetune-Up - A Bloody Good Time

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcus, Prince of Undeath" href="#" target="_blank">Orcus, Prince of Undeath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/andrewkmar">Andrew Mar</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Today let's take a look into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcus, Prince of Undeath" href="#" target="_blank">Orcus, Prince of Undeath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a somewhat underpowered commander. Don't get me wrong, it does have its moments, but this commander has a few obstacles in its design that tend to make it hard for it to shine.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orcus, Prince of Undeath"></div></div>
<h3>Observations:</h3>
<ul>
<li>As a commander, Orcus suffers pretty badly from diminishing returns. Unlike the more streamlined X-cost commanders, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyrus, Waker of Corpses" href="#" target="_blank">Gyrus, Waker of Corpses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which counts <em>all</em> the mana spent to cast it, Orcus only counts the X for its ETB (enters-the-battlefield) ability. This makes Orcus a 4+ mana investment at minimum, and every subsequent cast become less effective, which isn't a good place to be when you're an ETB-based commander.</li>
<li>Orcus' ETB has two different modes and both can be useful in their own right:
<ul>
<li>The first mode is a board wipe for every creature except our commander. With the right support, this can be a huge tempo swing in our favor, clearing the board for a possible Voltron threat. However, given that our commander already costs four mana, we're talking about an investment of at least six to seven mana to clear away some blockers, and again, that's just on Orcus's <em>first </em>cast.</li>
<li>The second mode has the highest potential, a reliable mass reanimation effect in a color combination that has the tools to capitalize on that explosiveness. The biggest challenge is this mode's wording: it limits the number of targets and the available targets that we can choose from. This double restriction makes it hard to go bonkers with it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>So, let's switch up the formula and see what we can make work with Orcus!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Skelemental"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ball Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Ball Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s are effective beaters that have the downside of being sacrificed at end of turn. They're very cheap to cast, and thus are great targets for Orcus' second ETB trigger. This'll be tricky for Orcus, since we'll have only a couple of opportunities to use our commander to bring back these kinds of creatures, but that means we're playing an exciting feast-or-famine strategy. What we lack in consistency we gain in sheer explosive potential, having the ability to dish double digit damage our of absolutely nowhere when our commander comes down and resurrects a pile of cheap, powerful, hasty threats.</p>
<p>Most of our beaters are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ball Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Ball Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variations, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arc Runner" href="#" target="_blank">Arc Runner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Elemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we have some interesting targets that are more noteworthy to discuss. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogis, God of Slaughter" href="#" target="_blank">Mogis, God of Slaughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an excellent resilient beater that scales decently in multiplayer. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not synergize at all with our commander (at least not the <em>Escape</em> part), but it's still a cheap threat, and we do tend to build a somewhat decent graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works both as an effective beater and a Treasure creator (more on that later). Its attack restriction isn't all that backbreaking since we're packing a few mana rocks and Treasure tokens, and we're more than happy to leave it on the battlefield giving us value.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Egon, God of Death" href="#" target="_blank">Egon, God of Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a funny card because it actively goes against what our commander is trying to do - load the graveyard. However, all we need is a cheap body that Orcus can revive and haste up! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combat Celebrant" href="#" target="_blank">Combat Celebrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s potential to finish off defenseless players gives this card a tool boxy feature that is great for a recursion-based commander to have.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dictate of the Twin Gods"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flameshadow Conjuring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing"></div></div>
<p>Red gives us access to some very effective support that allows our creatures to shine. While they're a bit on the expensive side and can be tough to find the right timing window to deploy them, they are the real deal. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of the Twin Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of the Twin Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a damage doubler that can be flashed in on the end step right before our turn, giving us even <em>more</em> explosive potential and some much-needed unpredictability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berserkers&#039; Onslaught" href="#" target="_blank">Berserkers&#039; Onslaught</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is similar to any damage doubler effect, but we shouldn't take for granted its combat trick potential, which can be make blocking even harder for our opponents.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flameshadow Conjuring" href="#" target="_blank">Flameshadow Conjuring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an effective way to get additional value from our creatures. Not only do we get extra damage, we also get more value out of any potential Aristocrat payoffs we use, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! The Flameshadow says to exile the token, but remember, many of the creatures we're copying, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Skelemental" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Skelemental</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will have their own end-step sacrifice trigger to make sure we <em>do </em>get the death triggers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great control tool for any deck that has the means to actually proc its damage triggers, and with a bunch of cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rotting Regisaur" href="#" target="_blank">Rotting Regisaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosmic Larva" href="#" target="_blank">Cosmic Larva</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it turns out we can make that happen for very little mana!</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Orcuss Lightning Ball" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Orcus, Prince of Undeath
[/Commander]
[Artifact]
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Rakdos Signet
*Talisman of Indulgence
*Skyclave Relic
*Hedron Archive
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Spark Elemental
*Dockside Extortionist
*Hellspark Elemental
*Kalain, Reclusive Painter
*Kroxa, Titan of Death&#039;s Hunger
*Wily Goblin
*Arc Runner
*Ball Lightning
*Combat Celebrant
*Cosmic Larva
*Egon, God of Death
*Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge
*Hell&#039;s Thunder
*Lightning Skelemental
*Phyrexian Soulgorger
*Rotting Regisaur
*Seasoned Pyromancer
*Anger
*Blistering Firecat
*Bloodsworn Steward
*Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
*Fanatic of Mogis
*Impetuous Devils
*Mogis, God of Slaughter
*Pitiless Plunderer
*Purphoros, God of the Forge
*Skizzik
*Treasonous Ogre
*Goldspan Dragon
*Phyrexian Delver
*Thunderblust
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Phyrexian Reclamation
*Flameshadow Conjuring
*Sarkhan&#039;s Unsealing
*Berserkers&#039; Onslaught
*Dictate of the Twin Gods
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Village Rites
*Deadly Dispute
*Terminate
*Thrill of Possibility
*Chaos Warp
*Hurl Through Hell
*Unexpected Windfall
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Faithless Looting
*Strike it Rich
*Vandalblast
*Feed the Swarm
*Tormenting Voice
*Seize the Spoils
*Toxic Deluge
*Victimize
*Damnation
*Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Blightstep Pathway
*Blood Crypt
*Bloodstained Mire
*Canyon Slough
*Command Beacon
*Command Tower
*Dragonskull Summit
*Foreboding Ruins
*Graven Cairns
*Luxury Suite
*Polluted Delta
*Sulfurous Springs
*Temple of Malice
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Wooded Foothills
*15 Mountain
*7 Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div>

<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wily Goblin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goldspan Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pirate&#039;s Pillage"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldspan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Goldspan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a good beater that doubles the value of our Treasure tokens while also providing extra mana. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kalain, Reclusive Painter" href="#" target="_blank">Kalain, Reclusive Painter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheap creature that provides a Treasure token and a nice payoff for using them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Dispute" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Dispute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pirate&#039;s Pillage" href="#" target="_blank">Pirate&#039;s Pillage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seize the Spoils" href="#" target="_blank">Seize the Spoils</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great mid-game plays that act both as a way to filter our hand and as a possible setup for a future turn.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>In terms of opening hands, we don't want to keep anything too slow. Our goal is to start applying pressure to opponents with our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ball Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Ball Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creatures on turn three. This will set the pace for our early game, keeping up a string of one-turn threats, and restocking our hand with draw spells.</p>
<p>In the mid game, we can start to look for opportunities to set up our commander's grand entrance. Extra Treasure tokens here and there will help tremendously with this. There are a few mana milestones that we want to keep track of throughout the game (the 7 mana milestone and 10 mana milestone are crucial ones, to help bring back a decent number of creatures), but it's also useful to know when to adapt that plan according to the game state.</p>
<p>In the late game, after we've deployed Orcus and he's caused some havoc, we can lose a bit of our oomph. We're never completely out of it, though; with so many hasty threats, and so many ways to make them more effective, such as doubling their damage or gleaning rewards from their sacrifices, our opponents always have to stay on guard for any other stockpile of hasty creatures we rush out later on. Given enough time and mana, replaying our commander will always be a big late-game blowout.</p>
<hr />
<h1>Epic Results</h1>
<p>There are many ways to continue expanding and evolving the strategy from this point and I think that they tend to go towards three paths: beaters, payoffs, and subtheme.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Immolating Souleater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ogre Battledriver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Manabarbs"></div></div>
<p>There are many cost-effective beaters out there to try, and one in particular that got me very intrigued was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immolating Souleater" href="#" target="_blank">Immolating Souleater</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The life trade might seem bad, but when considering that we're a very aggressive deck, it's easy to see how losing life for additional damage could really pay off for such a swift strategy.</p>
<p>Evolving the payoffs part of the deck will likely depend on personal flair; one player might prefer the sheer power of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while another might like the low cost of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Finally, a great subtheme for this deck to potentially explore further would be some Group Slug cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manabarbs" href="#" target="_blank">Manabarbs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which either slow our opponents down or make them lose a bunch of life. This, of course, accelerates our plans perfectly.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Orcus's Lightning Ball

Archetune-Up - A Taste of Madness

Archetune-Up - Blim, the Bad Santa

Ultra Budget Brews - Dargo and Keskit

Replacement Commanders - Let the Hate Flow Through You!

Commander Showdown - Chainer vs Chainer

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captive Audience" href="#" target="_blank">Captive Audience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&amp;artist=[%22Dmitry%20Burmak%22]">Dmitry Burmak</a>)</h6>
<h1>Down With the Establishment!</h1>
<p>Hey everyone, Kya here once again! Welcome back to <em>Turning Data to Decks</em>, the series where we take a different dive into the EDHREC site from the typical norm.</p>
<p>Today we're going to stick it to the man! And by 'the man' I mean all those who like telling us that we have to abide by set norms in EDH! I'm sure you've run into them once or twice throughout your EDH experience. They want to impose their vision of how EDH 'should' be played and what belongs where. No more, I say! The true beauty of EDH is that it gives us countless more options in deckcrafting than in any other format available. If you limit yourself to just going with the set standard, you're missing out on some great experiences with yourself and with your various pods.</p>
<p>I have to say, when I was a newer player, the people who really stood out to me were the deckbuilders who made wonky decks that devastated the game. It was rarely the person who won the game that left an impression. A combo of two cards is sort of interesting, but also common. Someone who wins with 20 Clerics, though? Rare and memorable. For me, it was the person who created a goofball level of a board state and still won that impressed everyone in the room.</p>
<p>Sometimes it wasn't even the final play that started people talking. Sometimes it was just an interesting, subtle, or just plain different take on a preconceived archetype or color combination. For example, look at <a href="http://twitter.com/TheKristenEmily">Kristen's</a> newer article to see what she does to <a href="http://www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2019/10/keeping-gameplay-fresh-in-commander/">keep EDH fresh</a> by shaking up what everyone is used to in the color green!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Rocking Rakdos</h2>
<p>In the spirit of rocking the establishment, we're going to shake up one of my favorite archetypes of EDH: we're going to make a Group Hug deck in Rakdos colors! Exciting, right? What other color combination is more perfect for rebelling against the general consensus? Most Group Hugs like to keep it neat in Bant colors, which makes Rakdos the perfect color combination to contrast it.</p>
<p>Now, I know what you're thinking: "Kya, there aren't enough Group Hug cards in black!" That's where you're wrong! We recently got some fun black cards that we can label as Group Hug!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clackbridge Troll"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wishclaw Talisman"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scheming Symmetry"></div></div>
<p>Look at all these goodies! Black is finally starting to see their unique contribution to the theme. Sure, we always had cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maralen of the Mornsong" href="#" target="_blank">Maralen of the Mornsong</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but they were few and far between. Adding to the tutor list gives us one of the strongest methods of "hugging" in all the colors. Not only will anyone be immensely excited to get their own Wishclaw, but we can tutor for even more Hug cards... or for something far more deadly, if we wish!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Humble Defector"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guild Feud"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Opulence"></div></div>
<p>Now for the surprisingly more difficult part: we've got to find some Group Hug in red. Where do we find such cards?</p>
<p>Well, a while back, <em>Wizards</em> made a four-color Group Hug commander that included red: our mighty Group Hug kings, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis" href="#" target="_blank">Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who can help us out of this jam. By looking up their <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/kynaios-and-tiro-of-meletis">EDHREC page</a>, we can find a few red cards that can help us out. Of course, that may not be enough, so let's click on some of those specific cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Humble Defector" href="#" target="_blank">Humble Defector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guild Feud" href="#" target="_blank">Guild Feud</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to see what synergies we can find on their <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/humble-defector">pages</a>. Red only has a handful of Hug-ish cards, so we gotta dive deep into EDHREC and explore plenty of pages!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anvil of Bogardan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Horn of Greed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Howling Mine"></div></div>
<p>The best thing about artifacts, of course, is that we usually don't have to worry about colors. We can look at the Kynaios and Tiro's page or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phelddagrif" href="#" target="_blank">Phelddagrif</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/phelddagrif">page</a> to find a giant assortment of artifacts that will assist with our Group Hug. It's like color doesn't even matter, right? Don't forget to check out the <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/group-hug">Group Hug Theme section</a> for anything else you could be missing.</p>
<hr />
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/124f23da965dcace5fa78ea6b1c54f62.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40659" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/124f23da965dcace5fa78ea6b1c54f62.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="287" /></a></p>
<h2>"I'm Helping!"</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Havoc Festival"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Last One Standing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sire of Insanity"></div></div>
<p>Let's find some unique Rakdos cards to add to our list. What's the point of Group Hug again, readers? To help out the rest of the table, of course! At the end of the day, everyone's goal is to try and win the game and/or stop the other players from doing so. Let's help them do exactly that!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Havoc Festival" href="#" target="_blank">Havoc Festival</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to help everyone lower everyone else's life to make them easier to finish off. Does that blue player have too many cards in their hand? Let's help everyone out by throwing down a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sire of Insanity" href="#" target="_blank">Sire of Insanity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! See, we're helping! Oh, oops... looks like everyone else lost their hand too. Well, it's not fair for them to be selfish and expect that we'll only target one person anyway! We've got a lot of love to go around, and at the end of the day, we <em>did </em>stop one of their opponents from getting out of hand. What a perfect way to exemplify the Rakdos spirit: lavishing our love on our opponents by "accidentally" exploding a few caches of their resources now and then.</p>
<hr />
<h2>A Heartless Way to End the Game</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heartless Hidetsugu"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dictate of the Twin Gods"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overblaze"></div></div>
<p>Now for the wincon. After all, every sneaky Group Hug deck should have one. How do we end the game quickly and indiscriminately out of nowhere? We blow up the pod in a blaze of glory!</p>
<p>Yes, double the damage output from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heartless Hidetsugu" href="#" target="_blank">Heartless Hidetsugu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with an effect like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of the Twin Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of the Twin Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and everyone goes boom! Finally, the true end worthy of a Group Hug deck. How do we get these pieces in our hand? Look at all the tutors we saw earlier! While our opponents are distracted and gathering their goodies, we're slowly gathering ours too! Isn't it brilliant? Assuming, of course, that they don't win before us. But that's why we play so many powerful equalizing effects, to keep them in line.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Sneaky Lady is Sneaky</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xantcha, Sleeper Agent"></div></div>
<p>Oh, right! We need a commander worthy of our new Group Hug mantle! I completely forgot about that. Obviously we're going to try out Xantcha. Just look at her! The perfect way to tear down the establishment. She infiltrates the hearts of our victims - I mean, friends - and mollifies them with gifts. Plus, I don't have any female commanders at the moment, which is really odd, now that I think about it. You give Xantcha to someone else, which is an automatic hug. Then you let everyone at the table have the option to draw. Now no one should have issues with a poor hand!</p>
<p>Let's build this deck already!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Rocking Rakdos" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Heartless Hidetsugu
*1 Shah of Naar Isle
*1 Seizan, Perverter of Truth
*1 Wildfire Devils
*1 Humble Defector
*1 Stormfist Crusader
*1 Crypt Champion
*1 Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion
*1 Goblin Spymaster
*1 Sire of Insanity
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Magus of the Wheel
*1 Silent Arbiter
*1 Aether Membrane
*1 Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor
*1 Clackbridge Troll
*1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Endless Whispers
*1 Infernal Genesis
*1 Guild Feud
*1 Oath of Ghouls
*1 Vow of Malice
*1 Vow of Lightning
*1 Curse of Disturbance
*1 Mana Flare
*1 Painful Quandary
*1 Bitter Feud
*1 Havoc Festival
*1 Dictate of the Twin Gods
*1 Captive Audience
*1 Curse of Opulence
*1 Rite of the Raging Storm
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Red Elemental Blast
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Rakdos Charm
*1 Overblaze
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Khorvath&#039;s Fury
*1 Awaken the Erstwhile
*1 Dark Deal
*1 Last One Standing
*1 Burning Inquiry
*1 Scheming Symmetry
*1 Wheel of Fortune
*1 Dreadbore
*1 Gamble
*1 Faithless Looting
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Victory Chimes
*1 Horn of Greed
*1 Gate to the Aether
*1 Teferi&#039;s Puzzle Box
*1 Anvil of Bogardan
*1 Well of Knowledge
*1 Wishclaw Talisman
*1 Horn of Plenty
*1 Font of Mythos
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Crawlspace
*1 Pendant of Prosperity
*1 Howling Mine
*1 Temple Bell
*1 Ghirapur Orrery
*1 Heartstone
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Rainbow Vale
*1 Forbidden Orchard
*1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*16 Mountain
*15 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>Special thanks to many of my followers, such as <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveRaffle">@SteveRaffle</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Dinkerbob">@Dinkerbob</a> on Twitter; if you follow me on social media, you know I like to craft and discuss deck ideas before the full articles are published, so thanks to everyone for the amazing suggestions!</p>
<p>What did you think? Were we successful in our quest to make Rakdos Group Hug viable? I think it's kind of neat that it still fulfills the Hug requirements while adding in its own, darker twist. Not <em>quite </em>Group Slug, but enough to both giveth and taketh away! You can definitely mix some good ol' chaos in there as well, and still have it be thematic. You can also raise the bar and really add in some mean cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fate Unraveler" href="#" target="_blank">Fate Unraveler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> if you really want to lean into the pain like Rakdos intended!</p>
<p>What sort of decks do you build that go against the norm? Anything that you'd want to see? Let me know in the comments and we might see something wild in my next article!</p>
<p>Until next time,</p>
<p>Kya</p>


rakdos