Brewing Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER on a Budget

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fallen Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fallen Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CIttoku%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ittoku</a></em></p>
<p>Hello! Welcome back to <em>Archetypes of Imagination</em>, the series where we build decks based on popular Commander archetypes. I'll be using Scryfall's tagging system and EDHREC's Tag pages to build around a new theme each week. Scryfall has a really cool way of categorizing cards, where each card has specific labels attached to it for later reference. For example, <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> has the burn tag and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scavenger Grounds" href="#" target="_blank">Scavenger Grounds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the graveyard hate tag. EDHREC's tag system is really cool too, letting users see popular cards associated with a given strategy.</p>
<p>This week we'll be building a deck focused on “flinging” creatures: sacrificing them to deal damage equal to their power to any target. To maximize the value of these <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, we're going to need some pretty big creatures to throw around. There's lots of ways to make big creatures in <em>Magic</em>, but I'd like to focus on a card from the most exciting upcoming set: <em>Final Fantasy</em>! This set has some super powerful cards, but one of them caught my eye for this week's article. So, this deck will be helmed by… <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fallen Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fallen Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Fallen Hero"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fling"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Sephiroth, Fallen Hero Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fallen Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is super strong, turning each of our modified creatures (creatures that are equipped, enchanted, or have counters on them) into big, bulky 7/5s every time he attacks. And, on top of that, it's easy to avoid paying extra to recast Sephiroth because he can return himself to the battlefield if we sacrifice a modified creature. But we need a little more direction than just modified creatures. We'll be focusing on pumping up our creatures with +1/+1 counters, and then taking advantage of their Sephiroth-boosted power to quickly reduce our opponents' life totals to 0. Let's get brewing!</p>
<h2>Key Fling Strategy Cards For Sephiroth, Fallen Hero</h2>
<p>This deck is focused on dealing direct damage to our opponents based on our creatures' power. Let's talk about the best ones. One of my personal favorites is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brion Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Brion Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This big guy can take our 7/5s and sacrifice them for both direct damage and life gain. Plus, this is a repeatable effect, meaning we can cause a 14 point life swing on each table rotation. Similarly, I'm a big fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burning Anger" href="#" target="_blank">Burning Anger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Although this isn't a traditional fling effect, it lets our biggest creatures hit our opponents over and over again. Plus, the classics like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kazuul&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Kazuul&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thud" href="#" target="_blank">Thud</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all here. Although they're not necessarily as flashy as some of the other cards I've talked about, they're important role players in this deck's 99.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brion Stoutarm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burning Anger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kazuul&#039;s Fury"></div></div>
<p>We want to get extra value when we fling a creature. There are a few creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cacophony Scamp" href="#" target="_blank">Cacophony Scamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireblade Charger" href="#" target="_blank">Fireblade Charger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heartfire Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Heartfire Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that can deal additional damage to our opponents when they die, making them ideal targets for our effects that require a creature sacrifice. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elenda&#039;s Hierophant" href="#" target="_blank">Elenda&#039;s Hierophant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a big, evasive attacker once we modify it, and will explode into a bunch of valuable tokens when it dies. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gleeful Arsonist" href="#" target="_blank">Gleeful Arsonist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the ability to come back to life with a counter on it and start dealing extra damage to our opponents.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heartfire Hero"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elenda&#039;s Hierophant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gleeful Arsonist"></div></div>
<p>But we won't be sacrificing <em>all</em> of our creatures; we'd like to attack with our 7/5s too. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy" href="#" target="_blank">Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ryan Sinclair" href="#" target="_blank">Ryan Sinclair</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can both let us cheat the mana cost of our spells once their powers are big enough, and our commander makes that a trivial requirement. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can flood the board with Goblins quite quickly and has the ability to grow larger as the game goes on.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ryan Sinclair"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin"></div></div>
<h2>Ways to Modify Our Creatures</h2>
<p>In order to make a Sephiroth deck work, we'll need some extra ways to modify our creatures. One of my favorites is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mikaeus, the Lunarch" href="#" target="_blank">Mikaeus, the Lunarch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This Cleric enters the battlefield as a modified creature, and can tap to let us add +1/+1 counters to every creature we control. This is not only a super powerful buff, but synergizes perfectly with our commander's base power/toughness buff. I've also included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felidar Retreat" href="#" target="_blank">Felidar Retreat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathars&#039; Crusade" href="#" target="_blank">Cathars&#039; Crusade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for team-wide +1/+1 counter distribution. These cards are super strong in <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-based creature decks, and they're a perfect fit here.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Uncivil Unrest" href="#" target="_blank">Uncivil Unrest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fantastic way to close out games. Because we've got so many ways to distribute +1/+1 counters among our creatures, this is essentially a damage doubler that can give our creatures haste if needed.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mikaeus, the Lunarch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cathars&#039; Crusade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Uncivil Unrest"></div></div>
<p>We'll also need a few ways to protect our board state, given how heavy we're leaning into having big creatures on hand at all times. One of my favorite new cards fits perfectly here: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duty Beyond Death" href="#" target="_blank">Duty Beyond Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We'll usually have at least one creature on board that we don't mind sacrificing, and this protection spell will also add some bonus +1/+1 counters to our creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duty Beyond Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bulwark Ox"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zack Fair"></div></div>
<p>Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bulwark Ox" href="#" target="_blank">Bulwark Ox</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zack Fair" href="#" target="_blank">Zack Fair</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can add some counters to our creatures and protect them from our opponents' pesky removal spells. There's been a lot of cool board state protection tools printed recently, and I'd rather run these than the obviously-powerful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Protection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a lower-bracket deck like this.</p>
<h2>Sephiroth, Fallen Hero Fling Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>Here's the full decklist:<br />
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Archetypes of Imagination - Building a Fling Deck" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Sephiroth, Fallen Hero
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Duty Beyond Death
*1 Fling
*1 Get Lost
*1 Kazuul&#039;s Fury // Kazuul&#039;s Cliffs
*1 Legion Leadership // Legion Stronghold
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Soul&#039;s Fire
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Take Up the Shield
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*1 Damning Verdict
*1 Requisition Raid
*1 Thud
*1 Zenith Festival
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon
*1 Auron, Venerated Guardian
*1 Balduvian Berserker
*1 Blade Historian
*1 Bloodshot Cyclops
*1 Brion Stoutarm
*1 Bulwark Ox
*1 Cacophony Scamp
*1 Captain Ripley Vance
*1 Chocobo Knights
*1 Dragonhawk, Fate&#039;s Tempest
*1 Elenda&#039;s Hierophant
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Fireblade Charger
*1 Flaming Tyrannosaurus
*1 Gleeful Arsonist
*1 Guardian Scalelord
*1 Heart-Piercer Manticore
*1 Heartfire Hero
*1 Inti, Seneschal of the Sun
*1 Jacked Rabbit
*1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
*1 Loran of the Third Path
*1 Loyal Warhound
*1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy
*1 Ryan Sinclair
*1 Spikeshot Goblin
*1 Stalking Vengeance
*1 Surtland Flinger
*1 Urdnan, Dromoka Warrior
*1 Voldaren Thrillseeker
*1 Winota, Joiner of Forces
*1 Zack Fair
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Burning Anger
*1 Cathars&#039; Crusade
*1 Felidar Retreat
*1 Spiteful Banditry
*1 Uncivil Unrest
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Archangel Elspeth
*1 Elspeth Resplendent
[/Planeswalkers]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bitterthorn, Nissa&#039;s Animus
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Infantry Shield
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Diamond City
*10 Mountain
*1 Nesting Grounds
*11 Plains
*1 Restless Bivouac
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Slayers&#039; Stronghold
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Sunbaked Canyon
*1 Sunbillow Verge
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Sunscorched Divide
[/Lands]"></span></div></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The End" href="#" target="_blank">The End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>I hope you enjoyed this <em>Final Fantasy-</em>themed edition of <em>Archetypes of Imagination</em>. Before you go, I wanted to talk about this deck's board wipe package. I intentionally picked three wipes that work very well with the board states we plan to construct. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Damning Verdict" href="#" target="_blank">Damning Verdict</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is pretty close to being a one-sided wipe for just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, and that's hard to pass up. Similarly, if we cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spiteful Banditry" href="#" target="_blank">Spiteful Banditry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for X=4 after combat, we've got a good chance of hitting all of our opponents' creatures while sparing ours. And, finally, as one final fling effect, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can both wipe the board and hit our opponents for some big damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Damning Verdict"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spiteful Banditry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandra&#039;s Ignition"></div></div>
<p>Thanks once again for reading. I'll see you all next week, for another edition of <em>Archetypes of Imagination</em>: a group slug deck!</p>


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