<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Indominus Rex, Alpha" href="#" target="_blank">Indominus Rex, Alpha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by</span> <a href="https://www.artstation.com/soulsurvivor"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miro Petrov</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></h6>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keyword: Reanimator</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you ever made a Commander bucket list? Welcome to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Achievement Unlocked</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, where we take a look at the cool and unique things you can do in this format other than just winning.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reanimation is one of <em>Magic</em>'s most powerful strategies. From reanimating <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Griselbrand" href="#" target="_blank">Griselbrand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to more recently reanimating <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Cruelty" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Cruelty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Constructed formats have often had this deck either as an integral part of their metagame or at least lingering on the fringes of playability.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Griselbrand"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archon of Cruelty"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Commander, however, provides a unique challenge to the archetype. Often one bomb creature will not be enough to take down three opponents. For that reason, reanimation decks have never really piqued my interest. However, that all changed when I saw a certain dino in one of <em>Magic</em>'s newest releases.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Indominus Rex, Alpha" href="#" target="_blank">Indominus Rex, Alpha</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a few things I really love. First, it's an enabler for the deck while also being a somewhat formidable threat in itself. It also draws cards to help us find the spells to take advantage of the creatures we dump into the graveyard. Finally, it's in the most important colors for the archetype and gives us access to the full Sultai suite of cards. Let's take a look at what reanimation can look like in Commander.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Indominus Rex, Alpha"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Life Finds a Way</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What makes Indominus unique? For one, we want our reanimation targets to have keywords. Some of the top cards that appear in decks so far are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venomthrope" href="#" target="_blank">Venomthrope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (87%) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nighthawk Scavenger" href="#" target="_blank">Nighthawk Scavenger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (79%). I can see the vision with these cards as they have a lot of keywords. However, if our primary strategy focuses on reanimation rather than finishing the game with our commander, then we want some creatures that pack a bigger punch when being reanimated. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triplicate Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Triplicate Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has many of the same keywords but is formidable enough on its own to present a threat.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venomthrope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nighthawk Scavenger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triplicate Titan"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To better find cards that fit this strategy, I looked to EDHREC's filters. In this case, only six decks are showing as as a reanimator theme, which is not a big enough sample size to have confidence in the data. That didn't discourage me, though. Instead, I filtered for all decks that include a key card to the strategy that I want to make work. 641 decks include the card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> which is one of if not the best win condition in our deck. This gives us way more data to work with, so let's break it down.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living Death"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">You Didn't Ask for Reality; You Asked for More Teeth</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What creatures best fit this strategy? 93% of these decks are on the right path with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scavenged Brawler" href="#" target="_blank">Scavenged Brawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is a threat that can stabilize your board and push through damage. Importantly, it has FOUR keywords and even has an ability from the graveyard if you don't have the spells to recur it. It doesn't look like the traditional reanimator threat, but it plays into exactly what our deck wants to do. It's important to note that we're looking to play a grindy game and reanimate multiple threats. For that reason, it's an extra plus to have creatures that aren't embarrassing if we have to cast from our hand, and they'll never rot in our hand unable to cast them. This playstyle is very different to reanimator in other formats, but it gives us the flexibility to play the long game and not run out of gas too quickly.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scavenged Brawler"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elder Gargaroth" href="#" target="_blank">Elder Gargaroth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fulfills a similar role as a creature that can really fit in any green Commander deck, but it excels here, especially with the keywords it grants. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wurmcoil Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Wurmcoil Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plays in a similar space as a midrange threat with keywords that isn't a problem to cast.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elder Gargaroth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wurmcoil Engine"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tying the Room Together</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This commander costs just five mana, but with the colored-pips required to cast it it's important that we set up our mana in this deck and even ramp out our commander early if possible. Luckily, we're in green, so we can rely on the tried-and-true green land ramp. In general I prefer the two-mana spells, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farseek" href="#" target="_blank">Farseek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature&#039;s Lore" href="#" target="_blank">Nature&#039;s Lore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but when you have a five-mana commander with such color-intensive mana costs, I think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harrow" href="#" target="_blank">Harrow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can fit in this deck as well. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farseek"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nature&#039;s Lore"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harrow"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mana dorks can be underwhelming in Commander, but there are a few great options here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline Prowler" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline Prowler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birds of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Birds of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both mana dorks that can also contribute to our commander's keywords once they would otherwise be less useful late in the game.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leyline Prowler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birds of Paradise"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reanimation spells are plentiful, and the best bang for our buck is cards that can reanimate two creatures at once, like the aforementioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reanimate" href="#" target="_blank">Reanimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is good, but in this deck I think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Victimize" href="#" target="_blank">Victimize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is even better. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise of the Dark Realms" href="#" target="_blank">Rise of the Dark Realms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will end the game in almost any situation, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Virtue of Persistence" href="#" target="_blank">Virtue of Persistence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us early game removal that doubles as repeated reanimation later in the game.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Victimize"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rise of the Dark Realms"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Virtue of Persistence"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of my favorite parts of Commander deckbuilding are finding hidden gems that excel specifically with what our deck is trying to do, but wouldn't see play in the average deck. One standout here is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Ifnir" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Ifnir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This plays naturally into our reanimation plan by putting itself in the graveyard if we need, but when set up correctly this card can become an asymmetrical board wipe. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadow of the Grave" href="#" target="_blank">Shadow of the Grave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can leverage our commander for even more card draw and can combine with blink effects such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Flicker" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Flicker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to help us stick even more cards in our graveyard.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archfiend of Ifnir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shadow of the Grave"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This commander also plays in a space that recently the game has been exploring more in the keywords-matter theme. Because of the density of creatures we are running with keywords, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selective Adaptation" href="#" target="_blank">Selective Adaptation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can serve as an alternate win condition and another way to cheat out multiple creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Majestic Myriarch" href="#" target="_blank">Majestic Myriarch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also packs significantly more punch when combined with all these other creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soulflayer" href="#" target="_blank">Soulflayer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a little counterintuitive as it exiles cards from our graveyard, but I feel it is efficient enough that we can leverage it as an additional way to get a big hitter for cheap.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selective Adaptation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Majestic Myriarch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soulflayer"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Winning the Game</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The main gameplan here is to reanimate many creatures at once, but there are a few creatures here that can win the game on their own. The best part is that they are also full of keywords for our commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is maybe a cheat here, but it does have haste, so I don't feel too bad stating the obvious that it is a potential win condition here. However, with even more keywords and a much lower pricetag, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="End-Raze Forerunners" href="#" target="_blank">End-Raze Forerunners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a pretty solid impression.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Craterhoof Behemoth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="End-Raze Forerunners"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's important not to count out commander damage either, although it's not the deck's main gameplan. This commander can quickly turn into a clock for our opponents especially when double strike is paired with some sport of evasion and even haste. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Luxior, Giada&#039;s Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Luxior, Giada&#039;s Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes this line of play even more aggressive and deadly. The best part of this commander is that it's an enabler that our opponents can't just ignore once it is in play. If they do kill it, we can recast it to refuel and go again.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Luxior, Giada&#039;s Gift"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck was a lot of fun to think about and build. Have you built reanimator in Commander? Who was your commander and how did you adapt your gameplan to a multiplayer environment? Let me know in the comments below!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Welcome to EDHREC Park!" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div>
<p>[Commander]</p>
<p>*1 Indominus Rex, Alpha</p>
<p>[/Commander]</p>
<p>[Creatures]</p>
<p>*1 Questing Beast</p>
<p>*1 Nightveil Predator</p>
<p>*1 End-Raze Forerunners</p>
<p>*1 Mirri the Cursed</p>
<p>*1 Rhonas the Indomitable</p>
<p>*1 Scavenged Brawler</p>
<p>*1 Elder Gargaroth</p>
<p>*1 Kefnet the Mindful</p>
<p>*1 Leyline Prowler</p>
<p>*1 Birds of Paradise</p>
<p>*1 Glissa Sunslayer</p>
<p>*1 Soulflayer</p>
<p>*1 Majestic Myriarch</p>
<p>*1 Triplicate Titan</p>
<p>*1 Carnage Tyrant</p>
<p>*1 Nullpriset of Oblivion</p>
<p>*1 Archfiend of Ifnir</p>
<p>*1 Stonehoof Chieftain</p>
<p>*1 Spark Double</p>
<p>*1 Likeness Looter</p>
<p>*1 Wurmcoil Engine</p>
<p>*1 Titan of Industry</p>
<p>*1 Slippery Bogbonder</p>
<p>*1 Ornithopter of Paradise</p>
<p>*1 Tyrranax Rex</p>
<p>*1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir</p>
<p>*1 Topiary Stomper</p>
<p>*1 Silumgar, the Drifting Death</p>
<p>[/Creatures]</p>
<p>[Instants]</p>
<p>*1 Harrow</p>
<p>*1 Beast Within</p>
<p>*1 Assassin's Trophy</p>
<p>*1 Cyclonic Rift</p>
<p>*1 Heroic Intervention</p>
<p>*1 Shadow of the Grave</p>
<p>*1 Fierce Guardianship</p>
<p>*1 An Offer You Can't Refuse</p>
<p>*1 Swan Song</p>
<p>*1 Malakir Rebirth</p>
<p>*1 Ghostly Flicker</p>
<p>*1 Pongify</p>
<p>*1 Rapid Hybridization</p>
<p>[/Instants]</p>
<p>[Enchantments]</p>
<p>*1 Animate Dead</p>
<p>*1 Virtue of Persistence</p>
<p>[/Enchantments]</p>
<p>[Artifacts]</p>
<p>*1 Sol Ring</p>
<p>*1 Arcane Signet</p>
<p>*1 The Ozilith</p>
<p>*1 Luxior, Giada's Gift</p>
<p>[/Artifacts]</p>
<p>[Sorceries]</p>
<p>*1 Farseek</p>
<p>*1 Nature's Lore</p>
<p>*1 Three Visits</p>
<p>*1 Rampant Growth</p>
<p>*1 Cultivate</p>
<p>*1 Kodama's Reach</p>
<p>*1 Victimize</p>
<p>*1 Toxic Deluge</p>
<p>*1 Rise of the Dark Realms</p>
<p>*1 Selective Adaptation</p>
<p>*1 Demonic Tutor</p>
<p>*1 Damnation</p>
<p>*1 Living Death</p>
<p>*1 Persist</p>
<p>*1 Reanimate</p>
<p>*1 Mythos of Brokkos</p>
<p>[/Sorceries]</p>
<p>[Lands]</p>
<p>*1 Command Tower</p>
<p>*1 Zagoth Triome</p>
<p>*1 Overgrown Tomb</p>
<p>*1 Watery Grave</p>
<p>*1 Breeding Pool</p>
<p>*1 Undergrowth Stadium</p>
<p>*1 Rejuvenating Springs</p>
<p>*1 Morphic Pool</p>
<p>*1 Verdant Catacombs</p>
<p>*1 Misty Rainforest</p>
<p>*1 Polluted Delta</p>
<p>*1 Exotic Orchard</p>
<p>*1 Dreamroot Cascade</p>
<p>*1 Deathcap Glade</p>
<p>*1 Shipwreck Marsh</p>
<p>*1 Myriad Landscape</p>
<p>*1 Yavimaya Coast</p>
<p>*1 Llanowar Wastes</p>
<p>*1 Underground River</p>
<p>*7 Forests</p>
<p>*5 Islands</p>
<p>*5 Swamps</p>
<p>[/Lands]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>

<p>Read more:</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="O5nm1nossh"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/jurassic-world-collection-set-review/">Jurassic World REX Collection Set Review</a></p></blockquote>
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Achievement Unlocked: Building Reanimation in Multiplayer

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brenard, Ginger Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Brenard, Ginger Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by</span> <a href="https://martanael.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marta Nael</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></h6>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">Building Aristocrats Without Black Mana</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/aristocrats">Aristocrats</a> is one of the most popular themes in all of Commander, with thirteen different color combinations popping up on its page. However, while six of the three-color combinations feature here, Bant does not. It makes sense; this color combination doesn't feature black (a hallmark of Aristocrat decks) and features in each color combination on the <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/aristocrats">Aristocrats page</a>. That said, as the game evolves, we're getting more and more options. <em>Magic's</em> latest set may have given us the perfect legend to build around.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Give my compliments to the chef!</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brenard, Ginger Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Brenard, Ginger Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a very <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/search/?q=brenard">unique card</a>. It cares about Food and Golems, but it lets you lean into both types since the tokens it create are both creature types. At first, I thought the Golem build-around would be mostly flavor text and I would rather build around sacrificing value creatures. But dang, Golems work <em>so well</em> with this card. Just be sure as you look at the page for this commander that you're able to sort through the noise. With so many decks to this commander's name already, it's helpful to filter for others who are <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/brenard-ginger-sculptor/sacrifice">building sacrifice decks with EDHRECs filters</a>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brenard, Ginger Sculptor"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Specifically, these sacrifice decks utilize the “Splicers”, or cards that create Golem tokens when they enter. These cards have insignificant bodies that are easy to sacrifice, and a powerful EtB that creates Golems that are pumped by our commander. These cards can put so much power on the battlefield and generate a Golem's-ton of value. A bunch of them even grant extra abilities to your other Golems.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wing Splicer" href="#" target="_blank">Wing Splicer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade Splicer" href="#" target="_blank">Blade Splicer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master Splicer" href="#" target="_blank">Master Splicer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and more benefit the tokens they create, but also any of the tokens our commander makes. Often, the more niche tribes such as Golems don't have any good finishers, but the same can't be said here. If the value itself isn't enough to end the game. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Triniform" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Triniform</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triplicate Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Triplicate Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can create an entire board state out of nowhere when combined with our sacrifice outlets.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wing Splicer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triplicate Titan"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reaching Beyond the Staples</span></h2>
<p><strong>What we lose:</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, I won't lie... playing in this combination of colors we lose a lot. First, we lose some of the best sacrifice outlets. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viscera Seer" href="#" target="_blank">Viscera Seer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> still holds up today as one of the best and cheapest free outlets. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carrion Feeder" href="#" target="_blank">Carrion Feeder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fills the same role and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Woe Strider" href="#" target="_blank">Woe Strider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> features as both of the aforementioned card's big brother. However, with many strong artifact options, I think this is likely the area where we lose the least by not playing black.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Viscera Seer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carrion Feeder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Woe Strider"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Losing the payoffs are where it really hurts. One of the strengths of these decks is that they can easily win outside of combat with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We lose out on these as well as some of the payoffs that reward us for sacrificing creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mayhem Devil" href="#" target="_blank">Mayhem Devil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Morbid Opportunist" href="#" target="_blank">Morbid Opportunist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Artist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mayhem Devil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Morbid Opportunist"></div></div>
<p><strong>What we still have:</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don't worry though. With the artifact options we do have, I don't think we can complain too much. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are classics and still all-stars in any Aristocrats deck. Not only is it free to sacrifice the creatures, but it's also mana-positive; These cards can quickly repay the cost that was spent to cast them.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Altar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashnod&#039;s Altar"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other outlets work well specifically with this deck's strategy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyre of Heroes" href="#" target="_blank">Pyre of Heroes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birthing Pod" href="#" target="_blank">Birthing Pod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both limited to once per turn, but with the Golem strategy they both work well to enable our commander and create even more board presence.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birthing Pod"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pyre of Heroes"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasting Station" href="#" target="_blank">Blasting Station</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> looks like it only works once per turn, but as long as we have non-token creatures alongside our commander then we can activate it as much as we like. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an interesting card in that even though our commander makes 1/1 tokens, it also pumps them up. This means it's not a sacrifice outlet itself until our commander dies, but that doesn't mean you can't combine it with the deck's other outlets to draw insane amounts of cards.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasting Station"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skullclamp"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Who Even Needs a Sacrifice Outlet?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sacrifice outlets <em>can</em> be overrated. Many of the best creatures in the format sacrifice themselves for a benefit. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Spirit" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Spirit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakura-Tribe Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Sakura-Tribe Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two of the most-played creatures in the format and they do double duty in our deck as creatures that can trigger our commander's ability on their own.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Selfless Spirit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sakura-Tribe Elder"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Evoke as a mechanic works great with any deck that cares about creatures dying. You can pay the cheaper cost of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and draw double the cards for a cheaper cost. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reclamation Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Reclamation Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a staple for a reason, but we can find the same effect with Evoke on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Foundation Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Foundation Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Foundation Breaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulldrifter"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Evoke mechanic's infamous cards are the <em>Modern Horizons 2</em> cycle of free cards, two of which, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solitude" href="#" target="_blank">Solitude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Subtlety" href="#" target="_blank">Subtlety</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are both well worth it in this deck. The card disadvantage is mitigated by the ability to double up the trigger and still keep the creature with our commander's ability.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Solitude"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Subtlety"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So we can get by without some of the staples, but what are we gaining from playing these colors?</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">But What Are The Pros of Playing Bant?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not only is it fun to build around an archetype that isn't traditionally supported, but this color combination also gives us a lot of interesting synergies. First off, one of the most unique aspects of this card is that it is one of the few commanders that cares about food.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Food has gotten an insane amount of support since its original token appearance four years ago. Much of this support is within Bant colors. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Manufactor" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Manufactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just keeps getting better and better and is a perfect fit for this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Motivated Pony" href="#" target="_blank">Motivated Pony</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can really pack a punch and put a ton of power on the board out of nowhere. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Night of the Sweets&#039; Revenge" href="#" target="_blank">Night of the Sweets&#039; Revenge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not only one of the greatest card names in history, but it also does a little bit of everything. It's a mana rock and comes with a Food that also allows all of our Food to tap for mana. Once we have our deck fully built out, it can become a win condition.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Academy Manufactor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Motivated Pony"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Night of the Sweets&#039; Revenge"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Token-doublers are expensive because they can have a game-warping effect. If it's in your budget, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anointed Procession" href="#" target="_blank">Anointed Procession</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all-stars in this deck. Not only do they work well with our commander's ability, but they also work so well with all the Golem tokens we are creating.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anointed Procession"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doubling Season"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck takes advantage of so many different mechanics and cards in unique ways. What ways have you built around this new card? Let me know in the comments.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Check out the full deck below!</span></p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Aristo-Food" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Commander]</p>
<p>*1 Brenard, Ginger Sculptor</p>
<p>[/Commander]</p>
<p>[Lands]</p>
<p>*1 Command Tower</p>
<p>*1 Spara's Headquarters</p>
<p>*1 Rejuvenating Springs</p>
<p>*1 Hallowed Fountain</p>
<p>*1 Temple Garden</p>
<p>*1 Breeding Pool</p>
<p>*1 Bountiful Promenade</p>
<p>*1 Sea of Clouds</p>
<p>*1 Misty Rainforest</p>
<p>*1 Flooded Strand</p>
<p>*1 Windswept Heath</p>
<p>*1 Dreamroot Cascade</p>
<p>*1 Overgrown Farmland</p>
<p>*1 Deserted Beach</p>
<p>*1 Myriad Landscape</p>
<p>*1 Krosan Verge</p>
<p>*1 High Market</p>
<p>*1 Boseiju, Who Endures</p>
<p>*1 Otawara, Soaring City</p>
<p>*1 Branchloft Pathway</p>
<p>*1 Barkchannel Pathway</p>
<p>*1 Hengegate Pathway</p>
<p>*1 Yavimaya Coast</p>
<p>*1 Brushland</p>
<p>*1 Adakar Wastes</p>
<p>*3 Islands</p>
<p>*5 Forests</p>
<p>*3 Plains</p>
<p>[/Lands]</p>
<p>[Creatures]</p>
<p>*1 Wing Splicer</p>
<p>*1 Blade Splicer</p>
<p>*1 Sensor Splicer</p>
<p>*1 Motivated Pony</p>
<p>*1 Ich-Tekik, Salvage Splicer</p>
<p>*1 Master Splicer</p>
<p>*1 Darksteel Splicer</p>
<p>*1 Academy Manufactor</p>
<p>*1 Solemn Simulacrum</p>
<p>*1 Malcator, Purity Overseer</p>
<p>*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder</p>
<p>*1 Mulldrifter</p>
<p>*1 Vital Splicer</p>
<p>*1 Gilded Goose</p>
<p>*1 Triplicate Titan</p>
<p>*1 Maul Splicer</p>
<p>*1 Phyrexian Triniform</p>
<p>*1 Selfless Spirit</p>
<p>*1 Rootwire Amalgam</p>
<p>*1 Meteor Golem</p>
<p>*1 Thought Monitor</p>
<p>*1 Foundation Breaker</p>
<p>*1 Cankerbloom</p>
<p>*1 Ancient Stone Idol</p>
<p>*1 Eternal Witness</p>
<p>*1 Esper Sentinel</p>
<p>*1 Cradle Clearcutter</p>
<p>*1 Solitude</p>
<p>*1 Subtlety</p>
<p>[/Creatures]</p>
<p>[Enchantments]</p>
<p>*1 Anointed Procession</p>
<p>*1 Fanatical Devotion</p>
<p>*1 Parallel Lives</p>
<p>*1 Trail of Crumbs</p>
<p>*1 Evolutionary Leap</p>
<p>*1 Night of Sweets' Revenge</p>
<p>*1 Greater Good</p>
<p>[/Enchantments]</p>
<p>[Artifacts]</p>
<p>*1 Sol Ring</p>
<p>*1 Arcane Signet</p>
<p>*1 Skull Clamp</p>
<p>*1 Birthing Pod</p>
<p>*1 Pyre of Heroes</p>
<p>*1 Blasting Station</p>
<p>*1 Phyrexian Altar</p>
<p>*1 Ashnod's Altar</p>
<p>[/Artifacts]</p>
<p>[Instants]</p>
<p>*1 Swords to Plowshares</p>
<p>*1 Generous Gift</p>
<p>*1 Beast Within</p>
<p>*1 Cyclonic Rift</p>
<p>*1 Fierce Guardianship</p>
<p>*1 Swan Song</p>
<p>*1 Arcane Denial</p>
<p>*1 Flawless Maneuver</p>
<p>[/Instants]</p>
<p>[Sorceries]</p>
<p>*1 Farseek</p>
<p>*1 Neoform</p>
<p>*1 Nature's Lore</p>
<p>*1 Three Visits</p>
<p>*1 Rampant Growth</p>
<p>*1 Cultivate</p>
<p>*1 Kodama's Reach</p>
<p>*1 Organic Extrinction</p>
<p>*1 Hour of Reckoning</p>
<p>*1 March of Progress</p>
<p>*1 Thought Cast</p>
<p>[/Sorceries]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>

<h3>Read more:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="gnyg54z4hH"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/do-your-worst-mono-blue-aristocrats/">Do Your Worst - Mono-Blue Aristocrats</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Do Your Worst - Mono-Blue Aristocrats&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/do-your-worst-mono-blue-aristocrats/embed/#?secret=839NOS5UbW#?secret=gnyg54z4hH" data-secret="gnyg54z4hH" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ki44XAyKxC"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-mechanic-building-aristocrats-in-commander-start-here/">Commander Mechanic - Building Aristocrats in Commander? Start Here!</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Commander Mechanic - Building Aristocrats in Commander? Start Here!&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-mechanic-building-aristocrats-in-commander-start-here/embed/#?secret=KyfZIiAAQu#?secret=ki44XAyKxC" data-secret="ki44XAyKxC" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


Trading Dudes for Foods: Bant Aristocrats

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Back for More" href="#" target="_blank">Back for More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.daarken.com/">Daarken</a>)</h6>
<h1>Unleash the Beast</h1>
<p>Hello! Welcome to another installment of <em>Nearly Identical</em>, a series where I take a look at two commanders with similar designs and archetypes, figure out what sets them apart, and help you find your next commander. Today, I'm taking a look back all the way to <em>Streets of New Capenna</em> and comparing two powerful Jund commanders: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre" href="#" target="_blank">Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ziatora, the Incinerator" href="#" target="_blank">Ziatora, the Incinerator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ziatora, the Incinerator"></div></div>
<p>Jund offers the perfect blend of the kind of chaos we want: green for the stompy creatures we want to bring down, red to burn and deal tons of damage to our opponents, and black to reanimate our threats and do it all over again. When Henzie and Ziatora were previewed, it was pretty clear that these were strong and efficient commanders that enabled the exact thing Jund Sacrifice decks want to do, and both benefit you for playing these high-powered, high-mana-cost creatures that would otherwise be difficult to get down, much less build multiple into a single deck.</p>
<p>Henzie offers an alternate cost to casting creatures with mana value four or greater, allowing them to come down and attack sooner than they should, but we'll lose them at the end of the turn and draw a card. Ziatora, on the other hand, will let us <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creatures and will even give us three Treasures for doing so. Drawing cards or making Treasures are both great ways to recover from losing a creature, and it helps us keep our momentum going in the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Solemn Simulacrum"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disciple of Bolas"></div></div>
<p>While we won't need to have every creature that has a death trigger, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atsushi, the Blazing Sky" href="#" target="_blank">Atsushi, the Blazing Sky</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an example of a creature that we want to sacrifice, as it'll actually benefit us when it does. The same goes for <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>. While we don't need Solemn in our green decks, he works smoothly in Henzie, coming down for three mana and drawing us two cards at the end of turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disciple of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Disciple of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another good example of what other synergies we can have if we're already planning on sacrificing creatures in the first place.</p>
<p>Based on data provided by <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/mtgds/">MtGDS</a>, Henzie and Ziatora have a similarity coefficient of 81%, so for any card that can be found in a Henzie deck, there's an 81% chance that that same card is also in a Ziatora deck. We were offered a lot of new Jund cards in <em>Streets of </em><em>New Capenna,</em> and out of all the Jund commanders they made, these two were the ones that captured player's attention, but how do we plan on defining them?</p>
<p>For Henzie, I wanted to focus more on the graveyard and add more reanimation synergies, giving us a clear line to victory, and for Ziatora, I thought it'd be fun if Ziatora flung artifact creatures that would break and turn into scrap metal (aka Treasure) that Ziatora then used to make more artifact creatures. It's a bit more thematic than Henzie, but I still think there are some cool things we can do with him. But first, let's see what we're including in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre" href="#" target="_blank">Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Our Troublemakers</h2>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Storm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giant Adephage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaxis, the Troublemaker"></div></div></p>
<p>How better to break <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> than to make it cheaper to cast and give it haste? Etali can provide a huge swing if we manage to get anything off the top of everyone's library. Plus, it's not the worst thing in the world to sacrifice it the end of the turn, given that Etali probably wouldn't be allowed stick around anyway. She's premier removal bait.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giant Adephage" href="#" target="_blank">Giant Adephage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also another terrifying creature that gets dangerous with haste, and since it has trample, we're almost guaranteed to have it deal combat damage to at least one player and get a second Adephage that will stick around. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jaxis, the Troublemaker" href="#" target="_blank">Jaxis, the Troublemaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> acts as our second <em>Blitz-</em>enabler by copying one creature and giving that token copy haste and<em> Blitz</em>.</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Back for More"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Brass Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living Death"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Back for More" href="#" target="_blank">Back for More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> looks like a good reanimation effect that can surprise an opponent. We can reanimate a creature to fight something else, get a blocker, a useful ETB, or get a creature on someone's end step so that we can untap with it, like an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avenger of Zendikar" href="#" target="_blank">Avenger of Zendikar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and all the Plant tokens it'll make. Six mana is a lot to hold up, but if we know we're wanting to get something out at instant speed, it could prove to be effective.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Brass Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Brass Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can come down fast and possibly reanimate multiple creatures from our graveyard to the battlefield. We might whiff, but being able to <em>Blitz </em>it is better than hard casting it and then possibly getting removed. Finally, we plan to win with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise of the Dark Realms" href="#" target="_blank">Rise of the Dark Realms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can bring a huge swing to our gameplan. Here's the list!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Henzie, the Debt Collector" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Acolyte of Affliction
*1 Ancient Brass Dragon
*1 Apex Devastator
*1 Archon of Cruelty
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
*1 Avenger of Zendikar
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
*1 Chainer, Nightmare Adept
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Daemogoth Woe-Eater
*1 Disciple of Bolas
*1 Doomed Necromancer
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Giant Adephage
*1 Goblin Anarchomancer
*1 Ignoble Hierarch
*1 Inferno Titan
*1 Jaxis, the Troublemaker
*1 Junji, the Midnight Sky
*1 Kardur, Doomscourge
*1 Noxious Gearhulk
*1 Phyrexian Delver
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Somberwald Sage
*1 Timeless Witness
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
*1 Ziatora, the Incinerator
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Corpse Explosion
*1 Culling Ritual
*1 Cultivate
*1 Damnation
*1 Dread Return
*1 Farseek
*1 Incarnation Technique
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Life&#039;s Legacy
*1 Living Death
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Persist
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Rise of the Dark Realms
*1 Riveteers Confluence
*1 Sinister Waltz
*1 Skyshroud Claim
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Cauldron of Souls
*1 Crowded Crypt
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Back for More
*1 Harrow
*1 Reckoner&#039;s Bargain
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Evolutionary Leap
*1 Greater Good
*1 Industrial Advancement
*1 Protection Racket
*1 Riveteers Ascendancy
*1 Warstorm Surge
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deathcap Glade
*1 Exotic Orchard
*8 Forest
*1 Haunted Ridge
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*1 Mosswort Bridge
*5 Mountain
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 Stomping Ground
*7 Swamp
*1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
*1 Temple of Malady
*1 Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2 class="p1">Our Scrap Metal</h2>
<p>Now to Ziatora! How would we go about building this Dragon Demon?</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wurmcoil Engine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triplicate Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Triniform"></div></div></p>
<p>Our main gameplan is to throw artifact creatures at our opponents or other creatures. If we're planning on losing some creatures, then we can include powerhouse artifact creatures, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wurmcoil Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Wurmcoil Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that'll make us tokens when they die. There are others similar to Wurmcoil with this effect, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triplicate Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Triplicate Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Triniform" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Triniform</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These will all give us creature tokens that will then either be fodder for Ziatora or decent attackers. This makes up the basic idea of what we want to be doing, but what type of value can we find in an artifact-focused Ziatora build?</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mimic Vat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonspark Reactor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wire Surgeons"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mimic Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Mimic Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will trigger when anything dies, so if our opponents have anything worth stealing, we can kill it with Ziatora, then pay three with the Treasures we get and make a copy of the creature. Or, since we have so many big creatures of our own, we can simply make new token copies of Wurmcoil and then fling it with Ziatora, that way we still get the two tokens it makes before the copy would be exiled.</p>
<p>With all the artifacts and Treasures coming into play, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspark Reactor" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspark Reactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will rack up a ton of charge counters and make our opponents sweat. Four mana to just remove one creature isn't always the best play, but being able to also deal that damage to an opponent as well, on top of Ziatora's ability, could easily kill the biggest threat at the table. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wire Surgeons" href="#" target="_blank">Wire Surgeons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card I've wanted to find a home for since it was printed, and it fits beautifully here. Any creature we've sacrificed can now come back with <em>Encore,</em> not only getting as many copies of that creature equal to the number of opponents, but also getting to fling them again with Ziatora. Plus, since so many of our creatures have death triggers, anyway, that we'll overwhelm the board with our creatures. While these all sound like great things the deck can do, how do we finish the game?</p>
<p class="p1"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hellkite Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fathom Fleet Swordjack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swashbuckler Extraordinaire"></div></div></p>
<p>With the number of Treasures we can get, getting to twenty artifacts with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hellkite Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Hellkite Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shouldn't be an issue, but if we can't get there, being able to steal artifacts might be a necessary evil that can help push us forward. We continue with the <em>Encore</em> theme with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fathom Fleet Swordjack" href="#" target="_blank">Fathom Fleet Swordjack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can be brought back from the dead and deal damage to our opponents equal to how many artifacts we have. This is a sneaky wincon that more artifact-focus decks should be running. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swashbuckler Extraordinaire" href="#" target="_blank">Swashbuckler Extraordinaire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> offers us the chance to win through combat by giving one or more creatures double strike. Ziatora is a 6/6 flier, so giving him double strike isn't something to sleep on.</p>
<p>And here's the deck! This was pretty fun to work on and see it all come together. Initially, Ziatora didn't grab me at all, especially amongst all the other Treasure stuff going on at the time, but giving it a bit more of a theme and flavor helped bring out a more fun and synergistic deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ziatora&#039;s Scrap Metal" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ziatora, the Incinerator
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Disciple of the Vault
*1 Fathom Fleet Swordjack
*1 Feldon of the Third Path
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Hellkite Tyrant
*1 Ich-Tekik, Salvage Splicer
*1 Ingenious Artillerist
*1 Iron Myr
*1 Junkyard Genius
*1 Lodestone Myr
*1 Marionette Master
*1 Marut
*1 Mayhem Devil
*1 Mishra&#039;s Self-Replicator
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Myriad Construct
*1 Phyrexian Triniform
*1 Reckless Fireweaver
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Scrap Welder
*1 Shimmer Myr
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Swashbuckler Extraordinaire
*1 Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
*1 Triplicate Titan
*1 Wire Surgeons
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blood Money
*1 Farseek
*1 Inspired Tinkering
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Three Visits
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Infernal Grasp
*1 Krosan Grip
*1 Putrefy
*1 Rushed Rebirth
*1 Tear Asunder
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Basilisk Collar
*1 Clock of Omens
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Dragonspark Reactor
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Idol of Oblivion
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Mechtitan Core
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Reckoner Bankbuster
*1 Sculpting Steel
*1 Skyclave Relic
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Soul Foundry
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Arms Race
*1 Rain of Riches
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*4 Forest
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*1 Mosswort Bridge
*6 Mountain
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Stomping Ground
*5 Swamp
*1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
*1 Temple of Abandon
*1 Temple of Malady
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Tree of Tales
*1 Vault of Whispers
*1 Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Precious Treasures</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre" href="#" target="_blank">Henzie &quot;Toolbox&quot; Torre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has amassed 4,600 decks on EDHREC just before the year's end, making him the third most built Jund commander, and it's easy to see why. In a way, he does provide ramp and card draw, and having both tacked on to a commander has proven to be strong, e.g., <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosper, Tome-Bound" href="#" target="_blank">Prosper, Tome-Bound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But it's specific in that we're only getting that value by playing high-mana-value creatures, and I haven't even mentioned the fact that the cost reduction gets better the more we cast him, so we're not even upset if he gets removed.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ziatora, the Incinerator" href="#" target="_blank">Ziatora, the Incinerator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the 5th most built Jund commanders with 3,500 decks. These two came out at the same time, so why is one more popular than the other?</p>
<p>The first conclusion is simply that Henzie was the front-facing commander for the Riveteers Precon deck. I think that answer would be simple enough, but I do think there are other factors in play. Henzie's a cheaper commander to cast that does allow you to play higher mana creatures. He exemplifies what a Timmy commander looks like. That play pattern probably captured more players' attention than another commander that makes Treasures, and Ziatora being six mana to cast is sometimes enough for players to not even bother.</p>
<p>But what do you think? Which commander do you enjoy more? Do you prefer to reanimate your massive creatures? Or fling your strongest artifacts and making tons of Treasures? Let me know in the comments below!</p>


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