<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.kieranyanner.com">Kieran Yanner</a>)</h6>
<h1>Pore Over the Pages</h1>
<p>This week, we're doing something a little different on <em>Challenge the Stats</em>! We're going to go back to the roots of the fantastic <a href="https://edhrecast.libsyn.com/">EDHRECast</a> segment this series is based on. We're picking out one card to challenge as overplayed or underplayed, and doing a deep dive into which decks and commanders might want to play it. Today, we have an underplayed card from the <em>Kaldheim Commander</em> preconstructed deck, <em>Phantom Premonition</em>:<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spectral Deluge"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a one-sided board wipe, bouncing only opponents' creatures with toughness less than or equal to the number of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Island" href="#" target="_blank">Island</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s you control. It's currently in just shy of 1,500 decks on EDHREC, and I think that is too few! Spectral Deluge has the exact same text as another card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Fleets" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Fleets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is in 6,600 decks, but is very clunky at seven mana, and it's on a big durdly creature. Unless we're playing a Sea Creature deck, blue decks can typically take advantage or benefit from a spell rather than a creature. Point for Spectral Deluge! Another similar card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Engulf the Shore" href="#" target="_blank">Engulf the Shore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is in over 5,000 decks and, importantly, is symmetrical, which is a big difference.</p>
<p>Blue has so many options for symmetrical bounce board wipes, such as the iconic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evacuation" href="#" target="_blank">Evacuation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we have to get creative if we want to break symmetry like Spectral Deluge does. Let's check out our options.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inundate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wash out"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whelming Wave"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inundate" href="#" target="_blank">Inundate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hits all non-blue creatures, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wash Out" href="#" target="_blank">Wash Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hits all creatures of a color of our choice, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whelming Wave" href="#" target="_blank">Whelming Wave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep" href="#" target="_blank">Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> let us keep our Sea Creatures if we build around them, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crush of Tentacles" href="#" target="_blank">Crush of Tentacles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flood of Tears" href="#" target="_blank">Flood of Tears</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> let us get one big thing on the board, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherize" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherspouts" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherspouts</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are effective bounce if the creatures of concern are attacking. These are all solid options, and can be really good if we build around them.</p>
<p>However, Spectral Deluge doesn't ask us to build around it, and the only condition is that we have a lot of Islands, making it a great choice for mono-blue and two-color decks that include blue. Two more points for Deluge! However, looking at commanders that currently love it, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ranar, the Ever-Watchful" href="#" target="_blank">Ranar, the Ever-Watchful</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alrund, God of the Cosmos" href="#" target="_blank">Alrund, God of the Cosmos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vega, the Watcher" href="#" target="_blank">Vega, the Watcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the <em>Foretell</em> might be a bit of a distraction, since those commanders care about <em>Foretell</em>, and we're seeing minimal inclusion elsewhere. Let's view the <em>Foretell</em> cost as a perk, rather than a clue to which decks want to play Spectral Deluge.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crush of Tentacles"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aetherspouts"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep"></div></div>
<p>The <em>Foretell</em> cost is a huge boon to Spectral Deluge. We can tuck it away on turn 2 and then play it later for only three mana when we need it! Premium board wipes typically come at four mana, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Damnation" href="#" target="_blank">Damnation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and are fantastic because that efficiency lets us play something else on our turn after them to have something before our opponents. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at three mana is even better for this reason (ohhhh, I just noticed the Deluge parallel!). If we draw Spectral Deluge and need it immediately, we can hard-cast it for six mana; otherwise, a three-mana board wipe that only hits our opponents 100% blows my mind.</p>
<p>We need to address the elephant in the room. The big comparison to make is with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which I don't need to tell you is one of the most popular blue board wipes, showing in over 113,000 decks on EDHREC and commanding a hefty $30 price tag.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonic Rift"></div></div>
<p>Cyc Rift is instant-speed, asymmetrical, and hits all nonland permanents, which means it can be a lot more powerful, but it's also <em>always</em> seven mana to do that, which is a big price to pay and a lot of mana to hold open and telegraph to your opponents. It also has the potential for some feel-bads, and I think Spectral Deluge has a lot less of those, being at sorcery-speed. Also, Spectral Deluge is only 34 cents at the time of writing! Due to the limited printing, I'd pick up a few now to make sure you get that price. Check out Jaelyn's <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/staple-remover-cyclonic-rift/">Staple Remover article on Cyclonic Rift</a> to read more about budget alternatives!</p>
<p>Spectral Deluge definitely takes the power level down a notch from Cyc Rift due to the sorcery speed and only hitting creatures, but the asymmetry remains. That means it can be used to set your opponents back while maintaining your board, and maybe folks won't be upset about it if we use some politics and take out 5,024 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scute Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Scute Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s but gets to keep our stuff. My favorite reason for using asymmetrical board wipes is that they can be used to clear the battlefield of blockers while you swing in for an alpha-strike, effectively making them another win-condition in your deck and potentially freeing up a card slot.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Braids, Conjurer Adept"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atemsis, All-Seeing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle"></div></div>
<p>Looking at the EDHREC page of <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/u">mono-blue commanders</a>, I'm hard-pressed to find a commander that <em>wouldn't</em> at least consider Spectral Deluge as a board wipe in their deck. <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> makes another Drake and alpha-strikes with a ton of other Drakes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Conjurer Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Conjurer Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> resets opponents and smashes face with whatever beater she cheated into play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atemsis, All-Seeing" href="#" target="_blank">Atemsis, All-Seeing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets a free shot on a player to ice them out of the game. Expanding, we can look at the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/wu">Azorious</a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/ub">Dimir</a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/ur">Izzet</a>, and <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/gu">Simic</a> commanders and see a lot of places where a Deluge alpha-strike fits in well!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inniaz, the Gale Force" href="#" target="_blank">Inniaz, the Gale Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> – Flying stuff smash!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Scarab God" href="#" target="_blank">The Scarab God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> – Big Zombie smash!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> – Unblockable Ninja smash!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zaffai, Thunder Conductor" href="#" target="_blank">Zaffai, Thunder Conductor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> – Big spell and Elemental smash!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait" href="#" target="_blank">Aesi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tatyova, Benthic Druid" href="#" target="_blank">yova</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> – Lands lands lands rampy smash!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle" href="#" target="_blank">Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> – See above + commander damage smash!</p>
<hr />
<p>What commander do you think would be good with Spectral Deluge?</p>
<p>I'm partial to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Braids, Conjurer Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Braids, Conjurer Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so I'll post my current Braids list here.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Braids Clones" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Braids, Conjurer Adept
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Amphin Mutineer
*1 Ancient Stone Idol
*1 Atemsis, All-Seeing
*1 Bladegriff Prototype
*1 Clever Impersonator
*1 Colossus of Akros
*1 Crashing Drawbridge
*1 Darksteel Colossus
*1 Faerie Artisans
*1 Glasspool Mimic
*1 Inspired Sphinx
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Nezahal, Primal Tide
*1 Phyrexian Metamorph
*1 Phyrexian Triniform
*1 Sandstone Oracle
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sphinx of the Second Sun
*1 Stunt Double
*1 Thieving Skydiver
*1 Thought Sponge
*1 Triplicate Titan
*1 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
*1 Vizier of Many Faces
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Aetherspouts
*1 Archmage&#039;s Charm
*1 Beyeen Veil // Beyeen Coast
*1 Commit // Memory
*1 Engulf the Shore
*1 Fact or Fiction
*1 High Tide
*1 Insidious Will
*1 Intellectual Offering
*1 Mystic Confluence
*1 Narset&#039;s Reversal
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Reins of Power
*1 Resculpt
*1 Theoretical Duplication
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Clone Legion
*1 Mitotic Manipulation
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Spectral Deluge
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bloodthirsty Blade
*1 Crystal Shard
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Glaring Spotlight
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Helm of Possession
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Manascape Refractor
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Neurok Stealthsuit
*1 Pendant of Prosperity
*1 Sculpting Steel
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Emergence Zone
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Guildless Commons
*20 Island
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Riptide Laboratory
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Sanctum of Eternity
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Thespian&#039;s Stage
[/Lands]
[Enchantments]
*1 Mirrormade
[/Enchantments]"></span></div>
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<h2>Careful Study</h2>
<p>Are there any other cards you would challenge? Let me know in the comments below! As always, you can find me on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jevin_mtg">@jevin_mtg</a>, or <a href="https://discord.gg/GwQWjSZjvg">join my <em>Challenge the Stats</em> discord here. </a></p>


Challenge the Stats – Spectral Deluge

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep" href="#" target="_blank">Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/rutkowski">Greg Rutkowski</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Good morning, EDHREC! I’m Bernardo Melibeu and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual cards, effectively changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up in front of your own face is half the fun.</p>
<p>In this article we'll take a look at the splashiest card of <em>Dominaria:</em> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep" href="#" target="_blank">Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slinn Voda, The Rising Deep"></div></div>
<p><strong>Kicker 1U</strong></p>
<p><strong>When Slinn Voda enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, return all creatures to their owners' hands except for Merfolk, Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>10 mana for a situational <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evacuation" href="#" target="_blank">Evacuation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect and a 8/8 body is not something very attractive, especially in a non-green commander.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Release to the Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Release to the Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a wonderful card to have in combination with this commander, because recasting Slinn Voda from exile lets us choose to pay the kicker cost again to reuse the ETB effect.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>Bouncing tons of creatures is made more competitive if we add in wheels. Not only will a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect refill our hand after we drop tons of mana rocks into play, but all enemy creatures we bounced will be thrown away, dealing with those issues more permanently.</p>
<p>Observation 4:</p>
<p>A Voltron secondary win condition is worth looking at, since our commander has 8 power and an ETB that clears blockers out of the way.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p>With that in mind, let’s head to Slinn Voda’s EDHREC page and see how it’s usually built:</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-30227" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Slinn-Voda-Sig.png" alt="" width="878" height="428" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-30228" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Slinn-Voda-top.png" alt="" width="879" height="416" /></p>
<p>As we can see, on one side we have big ocean baddies, and on the other we have a few control elements and ramp. It's not a surprise that this is a pretty casual commander, which means it's our job to experiment and make it even crazier!</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>After some thinking, I saw that we wouldn't be able to utilize Slinn Voda's ETB in a control shell. 10 mana is just too much. Instead of focusing on the defensive side of this ability, how about taking a look on the possible offensive applications? In Commander, we prioritize having creatures with strong ETB effects, because we know that in a multiplayer setting it's very easy for them to get destroyed, and we want to get value out of our creatures right away before they potentially disappear. As a result, having ways to abuse those ETB effects by bouncing them back to our hand and replaying them might be a viable game plan, with the right support.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Panharmonicon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conjurer&#039;s Closet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Naban, Dean of Iteration"></div></div>
<p>Being mono-blue is a setback, as our creatures aren't as powerful as those found in other colors. Luckily, it also gives us the opportunity to build from a tribe that is on point with our gameplan: Wizards. Wizards as a tribe loves ETB support. In fact, there are 2 commanders that synergize with ETB Wizard effects: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist" href="#" target="_blank">Inalla, Archmage Ritualist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Naban, Dean of Iteration" href="#" target="_blank">Naban, Dean of Iteration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Wizards also help us draw cards and control the board, meaning that we won't need to waste many slots with non-synergistic spells.</p>
<p>Let's get to our creature suite, as they're the whole point of this build. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sage of Epityr" href="#" target="_blank">Sage of Epityr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omenspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Omenspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and similar effects might seem weak at first, but don't let them fool you their ability to brush off early aggro while helping us find the cards we need. That can be extremely important in the earlier stages of the game. The second group are the closest thing to spot removal that we're gonna get: cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aether Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Aether Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Separatist Voidmage" href="#" target="_blank">Separatist Voidmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These cards tend to snowball pretty fast with the right support. Finally, there're some cards that aren't ETB value, but not playing them would be a mistake. These include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azami, Lady of Scrolls" href="#" target="_blank">Azami, Lady of Scrolls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Galecaster Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Galecaster Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riptide Director" href="#" target="_blank">Riptide Director</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>ETB creatures means we need ETB support. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Naban, Dean of Iteration" href="#" target="_blank">Naban, Dean of Iteration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are auto-includes, since they do exactly what we want. We also have some <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erratic Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Erratic Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-type cards that serve double duty as a permanent tax to our opponents and a way to bounce our own creatures for repeated value. Bear in mind that this is very mana intensive, but our deck is built with that knowledge. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudstone Curio" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudstone Curio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheaper way to do the same effect, but we lose the flexibility of being able to remove threats from the board and to freely block creatures. There's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Paradoxical Outcome" href="#" target="_blank">Paradoxical Outcome</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a one-shot effect that pairs extremely well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to become a powerful draw engine.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venser, Shaper Savant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aven Fogbringer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aether Adept"></div></div>
<p>Once we have our engine established, we need to be able to end the game. Slinn Voda can rid our opposition of the ability to block, allowing our creatures to deal damage unimpeded. Power-ups like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Memorial" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Memorial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will help tremendously in this regard. That plan does require some setup, so when all else fails, we can also just hit people with a giant fish; Slinn Voda can off people in three attacks, which ain't all that bad.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Slinn Voda Wizards" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]Slinn Voda, The Rising Deep[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Sage of Epityr
*Siren Stormtamer
*Naban, Dean of Iteration
*Omenspeaker
*Stern Proctor
*Stonybrook Banneret
*Vedalken Aethermage
*Aether Adept
*Champion of Wits
*Exclusion Mage
*Merchant of Secrets
*Patron Wizard
*Portal Mage
*Sage of Fables
*Sea Gate Oracle
*Silumgar Sorcerer
*Temporal Adept
*Trophy Mage
*Watertrap Weaver
*Archaeomancer
*Aven Fogbringer
*Glen Elendra Archmage
*Master of Waves
*Riptide Director
*Separatist Voidmage
*Sower of Temptation
*Tempest Caller
*Venser, Shaper Savant
*Azami, Lady of Scrolls
*Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
*Archetype of Imagination
*Galecaster Colossus
[/Creature]

[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Counterspell
*Cyclonic Rift
*Negate
*Paradoxical Outcome
[/Instant]
[Enchantment]
*As Foretold
*Equilibrium
*Kindred Discovery
[/Enchantment]

[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Sol Ring
*Coldsteel Heart
*Fellwar Stone
*Mind Stone
*Sapphire Medallion
*Sky Diamond
*Cloudstone Curio
*Commander&#039;s Sphere
*Crystal Shard
*Extraplanar Lens
*Semblance Anvil
*Worn Powerstone
*Dragon Throne of Tarkir
*Erratic Portal
*Panharmonicon
*Coat of Arms
*Conjurer&#039;s Closet
*Cryptic Gateway
*Gauntlet of Power
*Gilded Lotus
*Vanquisher&#039;s Banner
*Caged Sun
*Akroma&#039;s Memorial
[/Artifact]
[Land]
*Ghost Quarter
*Tectonic Edge
*Myriad Landscape
*Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*Riptide Laboratory
*Scavenger Grounds
*Arch of Orazca
*28 Island
[/Land]"></span></div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
</div>
<div></div>
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<div>This is a very mana-intensive build. We need mana to play our commander to bounce enemy armies and replay our creatures for extra value, and because of that, having good mana acceleration is very important. We have 9 mana rocks, 3 cost reducers, 3 mana doublers, and 2 ways of cheating things into play for free. Even though we need lots of mana, it doesn't take all that much time to actually get there, since in the mid game we can start replaying our creatures for added value.</div>
<div></div>
<div><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cryptic Gateway"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="As Foretold"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caged Sun"></div></div></div>
<div></div>
<div>Since we get a lot of value from our creatures, there're some areas that this list is lacking, such as card draw and instant-speed interaction. That means two things. First, we can't waste cards. Our card advantage comes from repeating our creatures' effects over and over. This is powerful, but if they're removed permanently by a board wipe, we lose a lot of fuel in our engine. Second, since we have less interaction on other players' turns than a normal blue deck, we may need to do some politicking to make sure we don't get run over by a big threat.</div>
<hr />
<div>
<h2>Methodology</h2>
</div>
<p>Our early game is basically dropping lands, playing rocks, and getting value from our creatures. We need to be careful to not over-commit and get blown away by a board wipe, but we can't afford to slow down so much that we never get our engine started. There're some things we can do that can help with this problem, such as holding mana for a counterspells (or bluffing them) and bouncing our own creatures with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aether Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Aether Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>By the mid game we should have found some sort of way to abuse our creatures, be it fast mana to play our commander or some bounce engine like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erratic Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Erratic Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is where we start to go crazy. Mana is still a constraint until we hit a mana doubler or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptic Gateway" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptic Gateway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. By this point, since we need to have our engine going, we should consider playing counterspells only defensively.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Memorial"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Throne of Tarkir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coat of Arms"></div></div>
<p>The late game is where we get degenerate. Looping Venser is not going to make you any friends at the table. By this point we need to take 2-3 creatures and an anthem effect to help us pick some players off. It's very easy to have free attacks with our commander, so the threat of Slinn Voda can be used to help out when making deals (#politics).</p>
<hr />
<h1>Epic Results</h1>
<p>Mono-color tribal can be hard to build, especially in a color that doesn't really support creatures all that well. There are a few adjustments that could be made to the list above to season to your personal taste.</p>
<p>One theme that could've been explored is copying creatures, such as with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Replication" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Replication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cackling Counterpart" href="#" target="_blank">Cackling Counterpart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They don't interact favorably with ounce effects, but we can't deny their value. Another direction that this deck could've gone is simply to abandon the Wizards. Just plain value creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, I still think that investing in the tribe is overall better, as there are more payoffs.</p>
<div class="blog-post">
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think about Slinn Voda Wizard Tribal? Please fell free to leave any suggestions in the comments section. Do you have any questions about the list? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know!</p>
</div>


slinn voda

Challenge the Stats – Spectral Deluge

Epic Experiment - Slinn Voda Wizards