<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort|blb|329" href="#" target="_blank">Clement, the Worrywort</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.corygodbey.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cory Godbey</a></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello there! Welcome back to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Archetypes of Imagination</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the series where we build decks based on popular Commander archetypes. I'll be using </span><a href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scryfall's tagging system</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and</span><a href="https://edhrec.com/tags" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> EDHREC's Tag pages</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to build around a new theme each week. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week, we'll be building a deck focused on bouncing creatures. But, a deck focused on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variants likely wouldn't be fun to play (and it definitely wouldn't be fun to play against). So, we'll be focused on bouncing our own creatures! Why would we do that? To recast them, and get value from cast triggers and enters triggers. Getting value from taking normal game actions is, definitively, a Simic trait. So, in case you hadn't guessed yet, this deck will be led by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement, the Worrywort</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clement, the Worrywort"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is from my favorite set in recent memory: </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bloomburrow</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This frog's got some serious legs, too. For just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we get a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptolith Rite" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptolith Rite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a stick, the ability to send a small creature back to our hand every time that one of our creatures enters, and a 3/3 vigilant creature. This card does so much for us, and asks for so little mana investment. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, we'll be casting cheap creatures, most of them Frogs for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s sake, and then recasting them later for even more value. This deck can string together some super impressive game actions once we've got a critical mass of mana available, and I'm really excited to show you all what I've come up with. Let's hop to it!</span></p>
<h2>They've Got Hops</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck will, hopefully, be casting a ton of creatures. It's got a full 39 of them, but we'll be returning them to our hand so often that it'll feel like a lot more. To that end, let's talk about the best enters and cast triggers that this deck has to offer. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Great Henge" href="#" target="_blank">The Great Henge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are classic green cards, providing huge amounts of card advantage over the course of the game. These cards are hard to beat, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be easy to cast with the mana that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides us. Next, I think I finally found the perfect deck for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haze Frog" href="#" target="_blank">Haze Frog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Not only does this guy fit into our pre-existing typal shell, but a repeatable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a Frog (see what I did there?) can be backbreaking for our opponents.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Whisperer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Great Henge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haze Frog"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let's talk about a few other creatures with powerful cast triggers. The somewhat newly printed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Octomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Octomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a repeatable source of 8/8 beaters, ending the game in short order if we can find a way to recast him multiple times in one turn. And, although it doesn't have a cast trigger itself, I wanted to shout out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silverback Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Silverback Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The ramp, removal, and lifegain provided by this card are hard to beat, and the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> in his casting cost can easily be handled by our commander. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of our commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intruder Alarm" href="#" target="_blank">Intruder Alarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do some absolutely bonkers things with him out. This card feels very, very strong with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the board, but it may lead to solitaire-style gameplay. Your mileage may vary, so I suggest a bit of caution including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intruder Alarm" href="#" target="_blank">Intruder Alarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Octomancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silverback Elder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Intruder Alarm"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly, I wanted to talk a bit about some special items in this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murkfiend Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Murkfiend Liege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valley Floodcaller" href="#" target="_blank">Valley Floodcaller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combined with either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Final-Word Phantom" href="#" target="_blank">Final-Word Phantom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Fae Trickster" href="#" target="_blank">High Fae Trickster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can essentially let us share each of our opponents' turns with them. Given the huge amount of mana that our commander can provide to us with a board full of kindred creatures, these cards can be extremely powerful. But, like I said with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intruder Alarm" href="#" target="_blank">Intruder Alarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that sort of play style isn't for everyone. Just something to keep in mind.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Murkfiend Liege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valley Floodcaller"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Final-Word Phantom"></div></div></span></p>
<h2>Up and Down, Up and Down…</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck isn't just about casting creatures and getting payoffs when they enter the battlefield. It's also about returning creatures to our hand so they can be played over and over again. One of the best ways to do this is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dour Port-Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Dour Port-Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, providing a relatively cheap way to bounce something we control and drawing cards along the way. For just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, this can even hit the battlefield before our commander for a sweet curve-out. I'm also a big fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Run Away Together" href="#" target="_blank">Run Away Together</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough" href="#" target="_blank">This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - removal spells we don't mind the downside of. And, as a one-mana 2/2 with upside, it's hard for me to not include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistbreath Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Mistbreath Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dour Port-Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Run Away Together"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mistbreath Elder"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, there's a few cards that I couldn't leave out of this write-up: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Tree Scribe" href="#" target="_blank">Three Tree Scribe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barrin, Tolarian Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Barrin, Tolarian Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gossip&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Gossip&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I really love cards like this; they provide us with several small advantages that add up to one solid card. My favorite among the bunch is probably <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gossip&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Gossip&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Although it doesn't let us recast the creature, it does let us get repeatable ETB (enter the battlefield) triggers, card selection, and evasion for our creatures. It's got many less notable, but powerful, effects that this deck really wants consistent access to.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Tree Scribe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barrin, Tolarian Archmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gossip&#039;s Talent"></div></div></span></p>
<h2>Clement, the Worrywort Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, here's the full decklist:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Archetypes of Imagination - Building a Bounce Deck" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Clement, the Worrywort
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Aeve, Progenitor Ooze
*1 Barrin, Tolarian Archmage
*1 Beast Whisperer
*1 Champion of Lambholt
*1 Clifftop Lookout
*1 Coiling Oracle
*1 Destiny Spinner
*1 Disciple of Freyalise // Garden of Freyalise
*1 Dour Port-Mage
*1 Dreamdew Entrancer
*1 Dryad Arbor
*1 Essence Warden
*1 Final-Word Phantom
*1 Froghemoth
*1 Grolnok, the Omnivore
*1 Haze Frog
*1 High Fae Trickster
*1 Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory
*1 Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
*1 Lilysplash Mentor
*1 Long River Lurker
*1 Masked Vandal
*1 Mistbreath Elder
*1 Murkfiend Liege
*1 Octomancer
*1 Pollywog Prodigy
*1 Pond Prophet
*1 Rampant Frogantua
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Shrieking Drake
*1 Silverback Elder
*1 Spore Frog
*1 Stickytongue Sentinel
*1 Sunshower Druid
*1 Three Tree Scribe
*1 Twenty-Toed Toad
*1 Valley Floodcaller
*1 Valley Mightcaller
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Beast Within
*1 Counterspell
*1 Mystic Reflection
*1 Polliwallop
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Run Away Together
*1 Simic Charm
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Emerald Medallion
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 The Great Henge
*1 Urza&#039;s Incubator
*1 Vanquisher&#039;s Banner
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bridgeworks Battle // Tanglespan Bridgeworks
*1 Farseek
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Raise the Palisade
*1 Season of Weaving
*1 Splash Portal
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Gossip&#039;s Talent
*1 Intruder Alarm
*1 Kindred Discovery
*1 Leyline of Abundance
*1 Reflections of Littjara
*1 Virtue of Knowledge // Vantress Visions
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Barkchannel Pathway // Tidechannel Pathway
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dreamroot Cascade
*1 Flooded Grove
*9 Forest
*1 Hedge Maze
*9 Island
*1 Lilypad Village
*1 Oakhollow Village
*1 Overflowing Basin
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Secluded Courtyard
*1 Three Tree City
*1 Waterlogged Grove
*1 Willowrush Verge
[/Lands]"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>A Positively Ribbiting Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before I end this article, there's a few more cards I'd like to talk about. This deck is mostly Frogs, so there's room for some sweet typal payoffs. We've got plenty of on-theme card advantage, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grolnok, the Omnivore" href="#" target="_blank">Grolnok, the Omnivore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even on-theme removal like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Polliwallop" href="#" target="_blank">Polliwallop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kindred Discovery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grolnok, the Omnivore"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Polliwallop"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But my favorite card in this whole deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Long River Lurker" href="#" target="_blank">Long River Lurker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card does basically everything we want. It's a Frog, so it taps for mana. It protects all of our other Frogs. And it provides evasion to our best attacker every single time it enters the battlefield. This card is fantastic, and I think it works perfectly in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clement, the Worrywort" href="#" target="_blank">Clement</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Long River Lurker"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks once again for reading! I'll see you all next time, for another edition of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Archetypes of Imagination</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">: a fling deck!</span></p>


Making a Bounce Deck With Clement, the Worrywort

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by Ekaterina Burmak</em></p>
<p>A pauper EDH deck built around a commander who cares about high mana values? There's no way that would ever work, right? I've been assuming that's the case for months now, and I've stubbornly avoided this commander. I've built decks that desperately want high mana value cards before, and they've never worked out. Not once. Pauper just doesn't have enough strong, big spells. It doesn't matter if your Pauper deck makes a million mana; if the best thing to spend that mana on is an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog&#039;s Crusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you're not winning. But that's what happens when the big spells are your payoff. What if instead of them being the payoff, they were the strategy? You wouldn't need those spells to win the game, you'd just need them to carry you through it.</p>
<p>That's exactly what <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does. She gives every spell you cast with mana value six or greater cascade, so all you have to do is play big dudes, and you get rewarded. She offers the payoff of card advantage, and merely requires those large spells to create it. And while Pauper may not have game winning monsters, the format certainly has enough big stuff to fuel Imoti's game plan. So this might work out!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty"></div></div>
<h2>Big Spells to Play With Imoti</h2>
<p>We might as well start with the bulk of the deck. Which plus-size cards to use? Imoti requires us to play cards with mana value six, minimum, and since it's always best to keep our mana curve low, you'd think we'd want to play exclusively six-mana cards, and nothing larger. But if we did that, then the maximum mana value of a card we could hit with cascade would be five. And we don't want to play five-mana cards, because they don't trigger Imoti. So instead, our spells are going to cost anywhere from six to nine mana. That way, when we cast a seven-, eight-, or nine-mana spell, the chances of it cascading into another fairly sizeable spell go up significantly. Yeah, this strategy increases our average mana value, but it was gonna be huge anyways, so who cares? Don't worry, we'll have plenty of ramp to make up for it.</p>
<p>But what are the actual cards? How about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Annoyed Altisaur" href="#" target="_blank">Annoyed Altisaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? The more cascade, the better, right? Maybe we'll take the immense <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher" href="#" target="_blank">Ulamog&#039;s Crusher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for that satisfying annihilator trigger. Perhaps we'll grab a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="It of the Horrid Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">It of the Horrid Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because Eldrazi are just kind of menacing in general. There are at least a few big Pauper cards that do cool things, and these are all among them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maelstrom Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulamog&#039;s Crusher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="It of the Horrid Swarm"></div></div>
<p>But they won't make up the bulk of our horde. Instead, most of our cards are going to be spells that can be cast for six or more mana, but can also be used for much less. Think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorshell Crab" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorshell Crab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Yes, the card itself is a fearsome crab that would trigger Imoti, but earlier in the game, it can be used as a very effective counterspell.</p>
<p>Luckily for us, <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> has been printing cards like this left and right. Ever since <em>March of the Machine</em>, there's been a cycle of cards in every set that costs six or seven mana, but can be land-cycled for two. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Timberland Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Timberland Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Ent" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Ent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Topiary Panther" href="#" target="_blank">Topiary Panther</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidal Terror" href="#" target="_blank">Tidal Terror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all examples of this. And there's more, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword Coast Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Sword Coast Serpent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that can go on an adventure, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krosan Tusker" href="#" target="_blank">Krosan Tusker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can find a basic land and draw a card when cycled.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirrorshell Crab"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Timberland Ancient"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword Coast Serpent"></div></div>
<p>Then there are cards that will trigger Imoti, but won't actually cost us anything close to six mana. For example, there are the Eldrazi with emerge costs, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wretched Gryff" href="#" target="_blank">Wretched Gryff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wretched Gryff" href="#" target="_blank">Wretched Gryff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be cast for it's emerge cost, minus the cost of a creature that you sacrifice. Essentially, what this means is that you can trigger Imoti, and cascade for a mana value of six, while only paying a single mana.</p>
<p>There are plenty more cards that have the same effect, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has delve, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siege Wurm" href="#" target="_blank">Siege Wurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has convoke. Honestly, it's fairly easy to play cards for less than their advertised cost. Delve, convoke, affinity, emerge, and evoke are all ways that <em>Wizards</em> has made it possible to trigger Imoti for less than six mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wretched Gryff"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege Wurm"></div></div>
<h2>Top Deck Manipulation</h2>
<p>So that's pretty much a summary of the big cards we're playing. But there's another aspect of this deck that I think is underexplored: top deck manipulation. Of course, right? Cascade flips cards off the top of your library, so if you can stack the deck, you'll have much more success. So why is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigiled Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sigiled Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not a staple of this deck? The ability to check what's on top before you cast a big spell is so incredibly handy, because you're optimizing your cascades by a significant percentage when you send an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the bottom of your deck in hopes of an Eldrazi. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigiled Starfish" href="#" target="_blank">Sigiled Starfish</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does that for free, but I'm willing to pay one or two mana to do that that every turn with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Pendant" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Pendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seer&#039;s Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Seer&#039;s Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>And of course, we can run the classic cantrips, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The top of our deck will never be left to fate.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigiled Starfish"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Pendant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visions"></div></div>
<h2>Other Spells for Imoti</h2>
<p>The rest of the deck is some removal in the form of bounce spells and counters, and a heck of a lot of ramp, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama&#039;s Reach" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama&#039;s Reach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and all the mana rocks we can run. We're even playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Aberration" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Aberration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is overkill in almost every situation, but is fairly fitting here. We certainly don't want to be running out of mana when our average mana value is... 4.12?! Damn, that's pretty high. But whatever, this deck can handle it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama&#039;s Reach"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rampant Growth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elvish Aberration"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Counterspell
*1 Eureka Moment
*1 Growth Spiral
*1 Negate
*1 Opt
*1 Scour from Existence
*1 Unsummon
*1 Vapor Snag
*1 You Find the Villains&#039; Lair
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Aethersnipe
*1 Annoyed Altisaur
*1 Coiling Oracle
*1 Crashing Drawbridge
*1 Elvish Aberration
*1 Etherium Spinner
*1 Fierce Empath
*1 Gearseeker Serpent
*1 Generous Ent
*1 Greater Sandwurm
*1 Greater Tanuki
*1 It of the Horrid Swarm
*1 Krosan Drover
*1 Krosan Tusker
*1 Llanowar Visionary
*1 Maelstrom Colossus
*1 Mirrorshell Crab
*1 Orchard Strider
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Siege Wurm
*1 Sigiled Starfish
*1 Slavering Branchsnapper
*1 Snapping Voidcraw
*1 Spire Golem
*1 Sword Coast Serpent // Capsizing Wave
*1 Tangle Golem
*1 Thunderhead Squadron
*1 Tidal Terror
*1 Timberland Ancient
*1 Topiary Panther
*1 Ulamog&#039;s Crusher
*1 Walker of the Grove
*1 Will-Forged Golem
*1 Wretched Gryff
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Darksteel Pendant
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Seer&#039;s Lantern
*1 Simic Signet
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Edge of Autumn
*1 Elven Farsight
*1 Energy Tap
*1 Explore
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Preordain
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Rush of Knowledge
*1 Serum Visions
*1 Skyshroud Claim
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aqueous Form
*1 Utter Insignificance
*1 Witness Protection
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*15 Forest
*16 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Tranquil Thicket
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>What do you think of this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> list? Is this finally a Pauper deck that thrives with high mana values? Or does it fall victim to all the typical problems that an average mana value of four would face? It's a pretty ridiculous deck when you think about it, given that it waits till turn five to do anything really significant. But there's certainly a lot of power in there. What's your opinion?</p>


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