Commander Masters for the Casuals

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(<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> | Art by </span><a href="http://www.andrewkmar.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andrew Mar</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></h6>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burn After Reading</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Feel like your deck just is not coming together? Welcome to <i>Solve the Equation</i>, where we take a look at the numbers and see what's making your deck and in-game decision-making fall flat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I love playing burn decks! There is something about slinging <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s at an opponent's face that's cathartic for me. Unfortunately, while burn is a viable aggro strategy in many other formats, it has long been an underachiever in Commander. The math gets a lot hairier here. Burn decks perform best when there is as little thinking to do as possible. Every spell is going straight at your opponent’s face. However, with 120 life points to whittle down, 3 damage feels pretty lackluster, and a singleton format means we can't even rely on the burn spells we need. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, what if I told you there's one burn spell you can rely on having in your hand? Come on! It's 2022, the age of power creep. The last few years have given burn a bunch of new toys which I think might just make it playable.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damage Output </span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Approach"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Bolt"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><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> shares some similarities with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The biggest similarity is, of course, 3 damage, but this spell hits <em>each</em> opponent. Our opponents each have 40 life, which means it would take approximately 13.3 <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>s to kill our opponents. Admittedly, this is much worse than the 6.6 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s it would take to kill an opponent in a 1-on-1 format such as Modern, but when you start to count how many Bolts it would take to kill off each opponent in Commander, 13.3 sounds like a perfectly fine starting point.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, what if there was a way to make our Approaches as efficient at killing our opponents as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in Modern? For this we can turn to one of the game’s most broken mechanics: <em>Companion</em>. Legendary creatures with this mechanic can be played as your commander without any deckbuilding requirement. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obosh, the Preypiercer" href="#" target="_blank">Obosh, the Preypiercer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the perfect burn commander and can leverage <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> better than any other deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obosh, the Preypiercer"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obosh, the Preypiercer" href="#" target="_blank">Obosh, the Preypiercer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubles the damage that our odd-costed cards deal. 6 damage to each opponent for 3-mana is a <em>very </em>appealing rate. That's 18 total damage for 3 mana off of one card. That's a combined 15% of our opponent’s life totals, which is the same damage output of a single <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a 60-card format.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">18 Damage / 120 Life (3 Opponents) = 15%</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">vs</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">3 Damage / 20 Life (1 Opponent) = 15%</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Many Do We Need?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Time to break out the </span><a href="https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric"><span style="font-weight: 400;">hypergeometric calculator</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to figure out how many Approaches we want in our deck. It's always important when deckbuilding that we remember our goal. Are we going to beat the table exclusively 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>? Probably not, so we want to make sure we can at least get a free Dragon out of the deal! If we cast the spell approximately five times, let's see what we get.</span></p>
<p><strong>Without <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obosh, the Preypiercer" href="#" target="_blank">Obosh, the Preypiercer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">15 damage to each opponent (45 total / ~38% of your opponents’ life) + Dragon of our choice </span></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>With <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obosh, the Preypiercer" href="#" target="_blank">Obosh, the Preypiercer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">30 damage to each opponent (90 total / ~75% of your opponents’ life) + Dragon of our choice </span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So we don’t actually need to cast this spell a ton of times to have a big effect, but we do need to reliably have the cards in our hand. Let’s imagine a hypothetical game that's expected to go about 10 turns. If we can draw, on average, approximately 2 cards a turn over those 10 turns, then by turn 10 we'll be 27 cards deep into our deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s take a look at the odds at different Dragon’s Approach counts:</span></p>
<p><strong>10 Approaches</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chance to draw 5 or more of the wanted card = 9.58%</span></li>
<li>Chance to draw exactly 5 of the wanted card = 7.25%</li>
<li>Chance to draw 5 or less of the wanted card = 97.7%</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>20 Approaches</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chance to draw 5 or more of the wanted card = 69.7%</span></li>
<li>Chance to draw exactly 5 of the wanted card = 21.8%</li>
<li>Chance to draw 5 or less of the wanted card = 52.1%</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>30 Approaches</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chance to draw 5 or more of the wanted card = 96.8% </span></li>
<li>Chance to draw exactly 5 of the wanted card = 5.99%</li>
<li>Chance to draw 5 or less of the wanted card = 9.16%</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>40 Approaches</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chance to draw 5 or more of the wanted card = 99.9% </span></li>
<li>Chance to draw exactly 5 of the wanted card = 0.421%</li>
<li>Chance to draw 5 or less of the wanted card = 0.533%</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">10 is definitely not enough, as the overwhelming odds suggest we won't draw enough cards. 20 is moving in the right direction, but a 22% chance of failing to draw 5 Approaches is higher than I would like. 40, on the other hand, nearly guarantees we draw the Approaches, but at that point we'll have more Approaches than lands and will barely be able to fit anything else into our deck. It looks like the sweet spot would be somewhere between 30 and 40 Approaches.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Dragons are Approaching</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All that said, this is not simply a burn deck. One thing many burn players love even more than a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Dragon that can dish out even more damage. The exciting text on <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> is not the damage output; we want Dragons! The biggest pitfall a burn deck runs into is running out of gas, but once we cast enough Approaches, they can solve this issue. Plenty of the format’s best Dragons can draw us cards, gain advantage, or just do more burning in general, and we can get them for free just by pursuing our burn strategy.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Card Advantage Dragons</span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knollspine Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Mage"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Approach spells don't add any card advantage on their own, so oftentimes the first Dragon we want to grab should be one that refills our hand. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><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></strong> - We're dealing loads of damage to our opponents, so this Dragon draws a veritable butt-ton of cards.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> - Not only will <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> refill the hand, but it can also screw up our opponents’ plans. It's important to be careful with this one, because if opponents are low on cards, it could help them refuel, too.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damage-Dealing Dragons</span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balefire Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drakuseth, Maw of Flames"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terror of the Peaks"></div></div>
<p>Our burn spells won't be enough to finish our opponents off, so we may want to grab a Dragon that can deal out enough damage to take us the rest of the way. We want to focus on odd-mana Dragons, since they'll deal double the damage with our commander’s ability.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balefire Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Balefire Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> - This card will clear one opponent’s entire board. One of the the biggest factors that can throw a wrench in our plans is an opponent who has a ton of creatures attacking us. This will quickly and continually take care of that issue.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><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></strong> - Just read the card. So. Much. Damage! And double it!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> - The next Dragon we bring out is really going to hurt. Plus, if an opponent tries to take it out, it'll cost them even more life.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utility Dragons</span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bladewing the Risen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Copper Dragon"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some Dragons will help keep our strategy going, including by bringing out <em>even more Dragons!</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><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></strong> - If one of our Dragons was taken out earlier, we can bring it right back.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Copper Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Copper Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong> - Our spells are expensive, so the more help we have on mana, the better. Not many Dragons can create more mana than this one.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's All Coming Together</span></h2>
<p>Time to flesh out the rest of the deck with some key support pieces!</p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cost-Reducers</span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ruby Medallion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nightscape Familiar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Locket of Yesterdays"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The biggest knock against <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> is that it costs three mana. There are a number of cards that can reduce the cost of the spell and will quickly allow us to cast multiple spells a turn. What makes these spells stand out over a traditional ramp spell is that they apply the discount to <em>each</em> spell we cast in a turn.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Dragons Aren't Enough</span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mizzix&#039;s Mastery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrumming Stone"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Dragons and burn spells aren't enough, sometimes we need a little extra push to take us the rest of the way. On the surface, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mizzix&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Mizzix&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems contradictory to this strategy, as it exiles the cards from the graveyard. However, sometimes you just need to push through a little bit more damage, and this spell can deal a boatload to just close things out. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oh, and who could forget <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrumming Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Thrumming Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? This artifact is getting a reprint in <em>Double Masters 2022,</em> which will hopefully make it more accessible. This card can potentially cast through an entire library of Approaches and win the game on the spot!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Check out the full deck here:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Obosh Burn" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Obosh, the Preypiercer
[/Commander]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Browbeat
*1 Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*1 Crux of Fate
*30 Dragon&#039;s Approach
*1 Jeska&#039;s Will
*1 Mizzix&#039;s Mastery
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Read the Bones
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Ancient Copper Dragon
*1 Balefire Dragon
*1 Birgi, God of Storytelling
*1 Bladewing the Risen
*1 Dragon Mage
*1 Dragonlord&#039;s Servant
*1 Dragonspeaker Shaman
*1 Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Knollspine Dragon
*1 Nightscape Familiar
*1 Terror of the Peaks
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Harness the Storm
*1 Pyromancer Ascension
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Locket of Yesterdays
*1 Pyromancer&#039;s Goggles
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
*1 Thrumming Stone
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Blightstep Pathway
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Graven Cairns
*1 Haunted Ridge
*1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
*1 Luxury Suite
*9 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*9 Swamp
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p>
<hr />
<p>What are your favorite burn cards in Commander? Is Obosh the best burn commander out there? I certainly think so, but the <a href="https://www.edhrec.com/themes/burn">EDHREC data shows it at 7th</a> for that dedicated archetype. Some of the more popular include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torbran, Thane of Red Fell" href="#" target="_blank">Torbran, Thane of Red Fell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toralf, God of Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Toralf, God of Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firesong and Sunspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Firesong and Sunspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Torbran, Thane of Red Fell"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toralf, God of Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firesong and Sunspeaker"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Which one is your favorite? Is there a better <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> deck? Let me know in the comments below.</span></p>


Solve the Equation – The Math of Burn in Commander

<h2 style="text-align: center;">Fantastic Medallions and Where to Run Them</h2>
<p>Welcome to <em>Superior Numbers,</em> where I try to do numerical analysis on cards and deckbuilding trends using a little bit of math.</p>
<p>I run the appropriate members of the Medallion cycle in all my mono-colored decks. After all, if most of your spells are one color, reducing those spells by one colorless mana is the functional equivalent of a mana rock, and in the case of the Medallions, it's a mana rock you can use more than once per turn. They're very effective.</p>
<p>I don't run them in two-color decks, however. Why? Well, because I didn't run them in two-color decks. The reason I don't run them is the reason I don't run them, if that makes sense. I just defaulted to assuming they were best in a mono-color deck, and haven't ever challenged that assumption.</p>
<p>So let's challenge that assumption.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">I deserve a medallion, look how I'm styling</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emerald Medallion"></div></div>
<p>First off, let's talk about the elephant in the room: the Medallions are expensive. As of this article, the cheapest is around $12 for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emerald Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Emerald Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the prices goes up from there, topping out with the most affordable printing of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jet Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Jet Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> still at over $40. That's gross, and it's certainly a factor in why folks don't run them or even consider running them in a lot of decks. This isn't an article series about budget cards, though. I just want to analyze the efficacy of the cards, regardless of price.</p>
<p>Now, determining just how good they are isn't a thing that's easy to do universally. It's pretty easy to do specifically though, and really that's what matters most, since you care about whether or not they would work in your own deck. The simplest way to do this is to look at my own decks. After all, I care a whole lot more about how my decks perform!</p>
<p>So to start this off, let's get a frame of reference for how many spells in each of my mono-colored decks benefit from having the appropriately-colored Medallion in the list. Now, bear in mind that the numbe of spells that benefit from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jet Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Jet Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't the percentage of cards in deck since these decks all have between 35-40 lands. Tivash for example has 35 lands, so if there are 40 black spells with a colorless pip in the cost that means Medallion reduces the cost of 62% of the spells I'd potentially be casting.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tivash, Gloom Summoner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anax, Hardened in the Forge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reki, the History of Kamigawa"></div></div>
<ul>
<li>Black: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tivash, Gloom Summoner" href="#" target="_blank">Tivash, Gloom Summoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>40 black spells, or 62%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>White: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Djeru, With Eyes Open" href="#" target="_blank">Djeru, With Eyes Open</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>34 white spells, or 52%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Red: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anax, Hardened in the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Anax, Hardened in the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>48 red spells, or 74%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Green: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reki, the History of Kamigawa" href="#" target="_blank">Reki, the History of Kamigawa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>47 green spells, or 72%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Blue: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talrand, Sky Summoner" href="#" target="_blank">Talrand, Sky Summoner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>37 blue spells, or 56%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>I'm a little surprised at these numbers. Had I made a guess before looking at the results, I would have thought the Medallions would work for probably 65% or more of the spells even in the worst case scenario, with a ceiling closer to 85%. I suppose in hindsight the slightly lower numbers make sense given how often mono-colored decks rely on colorless and artifact sources to fill in holes in the color pie. Regardless, we now have a barometer of how well these work in my mono-color decks.</p>
<p>So the worst-performing Medallion here would be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pearl Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Pearl Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which reduces the cost of just 52% of the spells in my mono-white deck. I'll note that at no point have I ever felt that card <em>didn't</em> work in that deck, despite providing a cost reduction on just half of the things I cast. That said, that also doesn't mean something else wouldn't work better in that slot. For example, a colorless mana rock, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liquimetal Torque" href="#" target="_blank">Liquimetal Torque</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, would work on 60 spells, or 92% of the things I cast. But regardless of whether or not an alternative would work better, the white Medallion has never <em>felt</em> ineffective. Presumably that's because for every instance where it didn't work on, say, a <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> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there were enough times where it reduced the cost of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer&#039;s Map" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer&#039;s Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon Blackblade" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon Blackblade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all on the same turn. As such, absent any better metric, that seems like as logical as any of a mark to use regarding whether or not a Medallion is worth running.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">We don't talk about it, your medallion's blindin' your mind too</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jet Medallion"></div></div>
<p>I currently have a deck for each color pair, so let's break them all down:</p>
<ul>
<li>Azorius (white/blue): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Isperia, Supreme Judge" href="#" target="_blank">Isperia, Supreme Judge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>18 white spells, or 28%</li>
<li><strong>32 blue spells, or 50%</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Boros (red/white): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adriana, Captain of the Guard" href="#" target="_blank">Adriana, Captain of the Guard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>25 red spells, or 39%</li>
<li>20 white spells, or 31%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Dimir (blue/black): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silumgar, the Drifting Death" href="#" target="_blank">Silumgar, the Drifting Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>21 black spells, or 33%</li>
<li>22 blue spells, or 34%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Golgari (black/green): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glissa, the Traitor" href="#" target="_blank">Glissa, the Traitor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>23 green spells, or 36%</li>
<li>23 black spells, or 36%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Gruul (red/green): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mina and Denn, Wildborn" href="#" target="_blank">Mina and Denn, Wildborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>14 red spells, or 22%</li>
<li><strong>48 green spells, or 75%</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Isperia, Supreme Judge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mina and Denn, Wildborn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigarda, Host of Herons"></div></div>
<ul>
<li>Izzet (blue/red): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kraum, Ludevic&#039;s Opus" href="#" target="_blank">Kraum, Ludevic&#039;s Opus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>29 red spells, or 45%</li>
<li>11 blue spells, or 17%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Orzhhov (white/black): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Athreos, Shroud-Veiled" href="#" target="_blank">Athreos, Shroud-Veiled</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>26 white spells, or 41%</li>
<li>27 black spells, or 42%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Rakdos (black/red): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Juri, Master of the Revue" href="#" target="_blank">Juri, Master of the Revue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>30 red spells, or 47%</li>
<li>13 black spells</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Selesnya (green/white): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigarda, Host of Herons" href="#" target="_blank">Sigarda, Host of Herons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li><strong>34 green spells, or 53%</strong></li>
<li>27 white spells, or 20%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Simic (green/blue): <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>21 blue spells, or 31%</li>
<li>7 green spells, or 11%</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Again, I'm a little surprised at some of these numbers. An <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emerald Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Emerald Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would do more work in my Gruul deck (reducing the cost of 75% of the spells) than the appropriate Medallion does in my best-performing mono-colored deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anax, Hardened in the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Anax, Hardened in the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which clocks in at 74%). That's shocking, though I'll note Anax is a bit of an aberration, as no other single color is in any other deck in such a lopsided amount. Still, that's not the only time one of the Medallions in a two-color deck would match the efficacy of one of the Medallions in my mono-color deck; both my Azorius and Selesnya decks would clock their appropriate Medallions (blue and green) at an efficacy rate (50% and 53%, respectively) that is near or above the efficacy of the Medallion in my mono-white list.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Miami ridin', rose gold medallion</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pearl Medallion"></div></div>
<p>Thus, the question becomes: if reducing the cost for 52% of my spells feels good enough to run a Medallion in mono-white, how much lower can we go? Does the 50% from my Azorius deck cut it? Does the 45% from Izzet? I think the first thing I want to look at is how well those Medallions would perform compared to the alternative, i.e., a mana rock that costs two mana and produces colorless mana. I went with colorless as I'm assuming even with a Medallion you're probably already running the two-drop rocks that make two different colors of mana and that don't enter tapped. We may as well also look at the two decks that have more hits than my worst single-color list.</p>
<ul>
<li>Azorius deck running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sapphire Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Sapphire Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>50% of blue spells reduced by Medallion</li>
<li>84% of total spells castable with a colorless rock</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Gruul deck running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emerald Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Emerald Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>75% of green spells reduced by Medallion</li>
<li>84% of total spells castable with a colorless rock</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Izzet deck running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruby Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Ruby Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>45% of red spells reduced by Medallion</li>
<li>80% of total spells castable with a colorless rock</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Selesnya deck running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emerald Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Emerald Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>
<ul>
<li>53% of green spells reduced by Medallion</li>
<li>86% of total spells castable with a colorless rock</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>What's interesting here is that in all the cases above, a colorless mana rock would be <em>less</em> effective than it is in my mono-white deck, where it would work on 92% of spells cast. So not only does a Medallion work on more spells in both my Gruul deck and Selesnya deck than one does in my mono-white build, but the alternative - a colorless mana rock instead of a Medallion - would also be a less effective option for those decks.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Iced-out medallion 'bout the size of a dinner plate</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ruby Medallion"></div></div>
<p>I haven't really answered the question about how low we can go percentage-wise where a Medallion still works in a deck. There are a whole lot of intangible factors at work here, after all. A deck with low curve probably benefits more from a Medallion than one with a high curve. You're way more likely to get repeated use from a Medallion if you're holding a grip with cards that cost 1R, 1R, 2R, 2R than you are if you're staring at a grip of cards with mana values of 3R, 3R, 4R, and 5R. Some decks also want to cast multiple spells per turn more than others. <em>Storm</em> decks, for example, are more likely to take advantage of the reduction. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jori En, Ruin Diver" href="#" target="_blank">Jori En, Ruin Diver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who looks to cast multiple spells per turn, is also more likely to use the mana savings when compared to a commander like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephara, God of the Polis" href="#" target="_blank">Ephara, God of the Polis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who's looking to spread them out over multiple turns.</p>
<p>Still, I think it's pretty safe to say that if a Medallion performs well enough for me using the numbers from my mono-white list, then it should work in any two-color deck with better numbers, and it's at least worth testing in any deck approaching those stats.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">And I got my medallion 'roun' my neck</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sapphire Medallion"></div></div>
<p>I'm lucky I get paid to write articles, cuz I'm going to need to buy a few Medallions in the near future to try out in two-color decks. They don't work everywhere, but they work in more places than I had blindly assumed they would.</p>
<p>Hopefully all of this is at least a little helpful for you to decide if you wish to try them in your lists as well. I'd love to hear any past experiences anyone has had, or may have in testing them out moving forward. Please sound off below in the comments.</p>
<p>Thanks for reading, and, as always, may your numbers be superior.</p>


Superior Numbers - The Medallions

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cunning Sparkmage" href="#" target="_blank">Cunning Sparkmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.waynereynolds.com/">Wayne Reynolds</a>)</h6>
<h1><strong>The Last Cookout of Summer</strong></h1>
<p>Greetings, everyone, and welcome back to <em>Monomania</em>. In this article series we build mono-colored decks as a way to explore ramp and draw packages that are synergistic with our particular deck’s strategy, and challenge staples and misconceptions about the color pie.</p>
<p>I’ve been impressed by quite a few of the non-white mono-colored commander options from <em>Throne of Eldraine</em>, and I plan on tackling a few of them in the coming months in a subseries: <em>Monomania Takes on Eldraine</em>. Today, let’s fire up the grill. Summer is over, but the weather is still right for a barbecue.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Torbran, Thane of Red Fell"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>My experience watching and playing EDH in the last month has revealed an unprecedented proclivity for life total manipulation. Between all of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greven, Predator Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Greven, Predator Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks on the loose, it seems more common than ever for players to sit at 15 life without worry. This is the perfect time for a commander like Torbran to turn up the heat and make these players sweat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pyrohemia"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>While burn strategies have never scaled well to EDH, Torbran changes the calculus on previously unplayable damage-based spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyrohemia" href="#" target="_blank">Pyrohemia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is being included in 72% of Torbran lists on EDHREC, and it perfectly illustrates why this commander is appealing: sources that persistently deal small amounts of chip damage are incredible with our commander. Every time we activate Pyrohemia’s ability, we’re tripling the amount of damage that it deals. And because Torbran has four health and only affects our opponents, we can activate Pyrohemia three times every turn without killing him. That adds up to nine damage to each of our opponents and their creatures for three mana every turn. The key to Torbran’s power is how he breaks symmetry: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flamebreak" href="#" target="_blank">Flamebreak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slagstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Slagstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can clear a board while leaving our general on the field. If we cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Electrickery" href="#" target="_blank">Electrickery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with our commander and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Repercussion" href="#" target="_blank">Repercussion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the board, not only will Electrickery deal 3 damage to each creature our opponents control, but it will also deal 5 damage to our opponents for each creature dealt damage this way.</p>
<p>There is a multitude of possibilities with Torbran: small goblins suddenly become potent attackers, blockers, and threats to our opponents’ life totals, so we could fill our deck with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogg Fanatic" href="#" target="_blank">Mogg Fanatic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siege-Gang Commander" href="#" target="_blank">Siege-Gang Commander</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Bombardment" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Bombardment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There are also a suite of effects in red that tax our opponents with damage such as <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>, <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>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zo-zu the Punisher" href="#" target="_blank">Zo-zu the Punisher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I personally decided to make this something of a sequel to my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashling the Pilgrim" href="#" target="_blank">Ashling the Pilgrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/monomania-nuclear-codes/">deck</a> previously featured on Monomania. While these decks share a central theme, new cards and Torbran's particular qualities actually make them significantly different. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be slinging spells and putting our opponents on a rotisserie.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>Fire Up the Grill</strong></h2>
<p>This deck has a very low curve, topping off at six mana. As such, our ramp package should be focused on small, early-game jumps. Our goal with this ramp strategy is to cast our commander consistently on turn three. We’re running six ramp effects that cost two or less.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coldsteel Heart"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ruby Medallion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Star Compass"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here we have three of these ramp effects—each of them cost two mana and will allow us to cast our commander on turn three. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruby Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Ruby Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the clear haymaker in our style of deck. With all of our rummage effects and low-cost spells, we'll be able to cast multiple spells a turn and net the discount on all of them. Once we get our deck’s engine online, this cost reduction will stack and permit us to capitalize on explosive turns.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Primal Amulet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pyromancer’s Goggles"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>These cards need no introduction, I'm sure — they're both powerhouses in EDH. Any one-color deck with a high quantity of spells wants these two cards. Both grant some sort of ramp and allow us to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fork" href="#" target="_blank">Fork</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> our spells. This can lead to more burn or enhanced draw with rummaging effects.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Keep the Heat On</h2>
<p>Now let’s examine how we’re going to squeeze card advantage out of this mono-red shell. We’re focused here on wheeling and looting. We aren’t emphasizing overall hand size, we're emphasizing keeping a well-constructed grip.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bag of Holding"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glint-Horn Buccaneer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reforge the Soul"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Up first, we have a set of effects that capitalize on rummaging. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bag of Holding" href="#" target="_blank">Bag of Holding</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has quickly become one of my favorite colorless card advantage effects for mono-colored decks. In this deck in particular, where we will be discarding at a high frequency, we can quickly juice Bag of Holding’s last ability. It is a surprisingly potent draw effect that outclasses most others. <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> will allow us to rummage, and is itself a payoff for rummage effects. If we cast the always stellar <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reforge the Soul" href="#" target="_blank">Reforge the Soul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with the Buccaneer and our commander on the battlefield, we can hit our opponents for nine, twelve, fifteen, or more damage in one go.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrill of Possibility"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cathartic Reunion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magmatic Insight"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As I covered in my article on Ashling, cards that rummage are extremely good in Spellslinger strategies that run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fork" href="#" target="_blank">Fork</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. For anybody who hasn’t yet heard about this particular interaction, if we fork a rummage spell that causes us to discard as an additional cost, the copy will not cause us to discard. Just as we don’t have to pay the mana cost of a copy, we also don’t have to pay any additional costs, we only copy the spell after all costs have been paid.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Needle Drop"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shake the Foundations"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Finally, we have two cards that cycle themselves when we cast them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Needle Drop" href="#" target="_blank">Needle Drop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful card in our deck; for one mana, we can <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> something <em>and</em> draw a card. It’s no secret that Lightning Bolt isn’t very good in EDH, but stapling "draw a card" onto it swings the needle just enough. This card is an innocuous inclusion, but it has such a low opportunity cost that it absolutely deserves a spot in our deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shake the Foundations" href="#" target="_blank">Shake the Foundations</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> scales well here, as well. Dealing three to all of our opponents’ creatures wouldn’t be powerful enough to warrant an inclusion in this list, but because it replaces itself, it should perform well for us clearing not only tokens but early-game creatures as well.</p>
<hr />
<h2><strong>The Deck</strong></h2>
<p>With all that set and sorted, let’s put the pieces together with a deck list. The name of the game is death by a thousand cuts. We want to keep chipping away at our opponents’ life totals until they’re cooked through evenly. Grab your spatula and, as per usual, season to taste.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sulfuric Vortex"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flame Fusillade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karplusan Minotaur"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Among the other notable inclusions here we have a slew of effects to capitalize on Torbran’s damage amplification. <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> is a staple in Group Slug strategies, and it's an imperative inclusion here: it will drain our opponents for 1/10th of their starting life total every turn with our commander on the battlefield. What’s more, it'll shut down the lifegain strategies that try to pull out of reach. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flame Fusillade" href="#" target="_blank">Flame Fusillade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the resident sleeper of this deck. Currently, it only sees play in 61 decks registered on EDHREC, but with Torbran it has found its forever home. This card is an absolute house, transmogrifying all of our innocent permanents into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kamahl, Pit Fighter" href="#" target="_blank">Kamahl, Pit Fighter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If the game goes late, this spell will end the game in a flash.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karplusan Minotaur" href="#" target="_blank">Karplusan Minotaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun political tool in this deck. If we win a flip, we get to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> the target of our choice. If we lose a flip, one of our opponents has to decide whether to point 1 damage in our direction, or 3 toward a scarier opponent. Any player that enjoys value will choose the latter. Karplusan Minotaur exemplifies a compelling nuance to this deck: the more we can split up damage, the more value we can squeeze out of Torbran's ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inferno Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Inferno Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, gives us a choice to deal 5 damage to one target, 4 damage to one target and 2 to another, or 3 damage to three targets. This principle holds for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaws of Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Jaws of Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as well. If we play Jaws with six <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mountain" href="#" target="_blank">Mountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s on the battlefield, we could deal 8 damage to one target, 3 damage to six different targets, or any favorable combination in between. Be democratic—hit all of your friends and enemies equally to most effectively milk Torbran's ability.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cinder Pyromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firebrand Archer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vulshok Sorcerer"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The backbone of this deck is a suite of creatures that slowly ping our opponents to death. Cards like <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="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are powerful in <em>Storm</em> decks, but the rest of these cards cards are suboptimal when they only deal one damage. With our commander, however, they become much more potent; these cards are our most likely path to victory.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Char Broiled" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Electrostatic Field
*1 Firebrand Archer
*1 Thermo-Alchemist
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Cinder Pyromancer
*1 Cunning Sparkmage
*1 Glint-Horn Buccaneer
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Magus of the Wheel
*1 Rampaging Ferocidon
*1 Sin Prodder
*1 Vulshok Sorcerer
*1 Karplusan Minotaur
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Backdraft Hellkite
*1 Neheb, the Eternal
*1 Inferno Titan
[/Creatures]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Chandra, Fire Artisan
[/Planeswalkers]
[Instants]
*1 Elecktrickery
*1 Needle Drop
*1 Increasing Vengeance
*1 Price of Progress
*1 Reverberate
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Arcbond
*1 Shake the Foundations
*1 Volcanic Fallout
*1 Sulfurous Blast
*1 Wild Ricochet
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Wheel of Fate
*1 Magmatic Insight
*1 Vandalblast
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Mizzium Mortars
*1 Tormenting Voice
*1 Wild Guess
*1 Flamebreak
*1 Light Up the Stage
*1 Slagstorm
*1 Flame Fusillade
*1 Ignite the Future
*1 Past in Flames
*1 Reforge the Soul
*1 Jaws of Stone
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bag of Holding
*1 Basilisk Collar
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Coldsteel Heart
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Star Compass
*1 Primal Amulet
*1 Pyromancer’s Goggles
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aria of Flame
*1 Repercussion
*1 Spellshock
*1 Sulfuric Vortex
*1 Aether Sting
*1 Burning Earth
*1 Manabarbs
*1 Pyrohemia
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Desert of the Fervent
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Ghitu Encampment
*29 Mountain
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Smoldering Crater
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
*1 Zoetic Cavern
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>A quick and important final note: every land in the history of Magic is colorless (the only exception being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dryad Arbor" href="#" target="_blank">Dryad Arbor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). While we are running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle" href="#" target="_blank">Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Torbran only increases damage from red sources you control, so Valakut will not benefit from this effect. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shivan Gorge" href="#" target="_blank">Shivan Gorge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is currently in 16% of Torbran decks on EDHREC and it seems underpowered here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghitu Encampment" href="#" target="_blank">Ghitu Encampment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, on the other hand, turns into a potent blocker with Torbran, dealing 4 first strike damage as a red creature.</p>
<p>What do you think of Torbran? In what direction would you have taken this commander? Is Group Slug an appealing strategy to you? Sometimes, after a two-hour game, I know I like to play a live-fast, die-young deck so that everyone can get to bed on time. Let me know in the comments. Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. I’ll see you all on down the road.</p>


ruby medallion

Commander Masters for the Casuals

Solve the Equation – The Math of Burn in Commander

Superior Numbers - The Medallions

Monomania Takes on Eldraine — Char Broiled