<p style="text-align: right;"><em>FlyQuest x Archidekt Duel Land event hosts | image still from livestream day 2</em></p>
<p><a href="https://flyquest.gg/pages/duelland">FlyQuest'sDuel Land celebrity charity event</a> has concluded, with two teams each winning a $5,000 prize to the charity of their choice!</p>
<p>The format was <em>Final Fantasy</em> Two-Headed Giant Sealed, with sixteen players paired up over two days of epic livestreamed matches.</p>
<p>We'll reveal the winners at the end of this article, so if you don't want to be spoiled, be sure to check out our livestream embeds below!</p>
<h2>Where Can I Watch the Duel Land Charity Event?</h2>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41.webp"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-156585" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-1024x576.webp" alt="player roster for duel land charity event" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-1024x576.webp 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-300x169.webp 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-768x432.webp 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41-1536x864.webp 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot_2025-06-09_18-41-41.webp 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
<p>Sixteen players (minus <strong>Rachel Weeks</strong>, shown in the image above) gathered at the Flyquest headquarters in Los Angeles for an epic weekend of <em>Final Fantasy</em> Sealed.</p>
<p>Each day was filled with epic matches (and two collector booster box openings!), plenty of laughs, and a ton of hype for the new <em>Final Fantasy</em> cards.</p>
<h3>Day One</h3>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="FlyQuest Duel Land Presented by Archidekt - Final Fantasy 2HG ft. Jimmy Wong, Atrioc &amp; more" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T5JkCdHGL_s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>There were a total of six 45 minute rounds of Two-Headed Giant for Day One.</p>
<div id="attachment_156586" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156586" class="wp-image-156586 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-1024x567.png" alt="taalia vess and brodin plett" width="1024" height="567" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-1024x567.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-300x166.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-768x425.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa-1536x851.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/taaliaaa.png 1820w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-156586" class="wp-caption-text">Taalia Vess and Brodin Plett in round 4</p></div>
<h3>Day Two</h3>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="FlyQuest Duel Land Presented by Archidekt - Final Fantasy 2HG ft. Jimmy Wong, Atrioc &amp; more" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o8tbKRzXFUo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Day Two saw the semi-finals and finals matches, along with a sweet Commander precon showdown with none other than<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/joseph-schultz" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Joey Schultz</strong></a>!</p>
<div id="attachment_156594" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156594" class="wp-image-156594 size-large" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-1024x574.png" alt="joey schultz as the monarch" width="1024" height="574" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-1024x574.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-300x168.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-768x430.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz-1536x860.png 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/jmschutlz.png 1810w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-156594" class="wp-caption-text">Joey Schultz and Joel are Magic</p></div>
<h3>Final Fantasy 2HG Sealed Pools and Deck Lists</h3>
<p>Duel Land event teams graciously posted their Sealed pools and deck lists on Archidekt for each day.</p>
<p><a href="https://archidekt.com/u/FlyQuest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out what your favorite players opened and sleeved up on Archidekt!</a></p>
<h3>Celebrating the Magic of esports</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-156588" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-1024x576.jpeg" alt="brodin plett and taalia vess as duel land winners" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/winners.jpeg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></p>
<p>Finalists <strong>Brodin Plett</strong> and <strong>Taalia Vess</strong> ended up taking the winner's crown on Day Two, with a $5,000 charity gift to Village Enterprise, notable for "Equipping women, refugees, and youth in rural Africa to launch small businesses and break the cycle of extreme poverty."</p>
<p>Not to be outdone, Archidekt donated an additional $5,000 to the runners up, <a href="https://x.com/Theasianavenger?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The</strong> <strong>Asian Avenger</strong> </a>(Crim Nguyen) and <a href="https://x.com/heybillierae?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Billie Rae</strong></a>, and their charity of choice, The Tourette Association of America, which "<span class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-rjixqe r-16dba41" dir="auto"><span class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3">is dedicated to making life better for all people affected by Tourette, Tic Disorders, and associated conditions."</span></span></p>
<p>Duel Land was a successful charity event, with esports and MTG players at max hype all weekend. Who was your favorite to watch? Are you ready to see the next FlyQuest x Archidekt streaming event? Shout us out below or on social media with your thoughts!</p>


FlyQuest x Archidekt Draws Thousands to Watch Celebrity MTG Stream Event

100 Creators, 100 Decks - Your Favorite Creator's Favorite Decks!

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emmara, Soul of the Accord" href="#" target="_blank">Emmara, Soul of the Accord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.kaicarpenterart.com/">Kai Carpenter</a>)</h6>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello! This is Bert coming to you from the Scrap Trawlers, where we do </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">EDH</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on a budget. We're your EDHREC precon guides, and I'm here again to give you some insight on how the Token Triumph Starter Commander Deck functions. This is going to include some information such as general themes, synergies, which cards are worth looking at, and what reprints are exciting! Let’s get started!</span></p>
<h2><b>Square One</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Token Triumph precon is a Selesnya deck led by none other than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emmara, Soul of the Accord" href="#" target="_blank">Emmara, Soul of the Accord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Going off of Emmara alone we are leaning towards a token strategy focusing more on going wide. The initial shell of the deck comes with a multitude of ways to tap our commander so that we can create those Soldier tokens. In addition to those, we have some ways to not only produce tokens in our deck, we also have other creatures that can continue to swarm the board as well. So right from the start we have a deck that reinforces our go-wide strategies. Take a look at the deck list.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Token Triumph" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Emmara, Soul of the Accord
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Aura Mutation
*1 Devouring Light
*1 March of the Multitudes
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Rootborn Defenses
*1 Scatter the Seeds
*1 Sylvan Reclamation
*1 White Sun&#039;s Zenith
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Avacyn&#039;s Pilgrim
*1 Champion of Lambholt
*1 Citanul Hierophants
*1 Dauntless Escort
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Farhaven Elf
*1 Great Oak Guardian
*1 Hornet Nest
*1 Hornet Queen
*1 Jade Mage
*1 Jaspera Sentinel
*1 Leafkin Druid
*1 Loyal Guardian
*1 Maja, Bretagard Protector
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Nullmage Shepherd
*1 Reclamation Sage
*1 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
*1 Scavenging Ooze
*1 Selesnya Evangel
*1 Selesnya Guildmage
*1 Sporemound
*1 Thunderfoot Baloth
*1 Trostani Discordant
*1 Verdant Force
*1 Voice of Many
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Collective Blessing
*1 Commander&#039;s Insignia
*1 Conclave Tribunal
*1 Curse of Bounty
*1 Dawn of Hope
*1 Dictate of Heliod
*1 Felidar Retreat
*1 Karametra&#039;s Favor
*1 Overwhelming Instinct
*1 Presence of Gond
*1 Valor in Akros
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Idol of Oblivion
*1 Slate of Ancestry
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Unity
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Camaraderie
*1 Citywide Bust
*1 Collective Unconscious
*1 Harmonize
*1 Harvest Season
*1 Hour of Reckoning
*1 Nissa&#039;s Expedition
*1 Overrun
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
[/Planeswalkers]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Blossoming Sands
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Command Tower
*1 Elfhame Palace
*15 Forest
*1 Fortified Village
*1 Graypelt Refuge
*1 Holdout Settlement
*14 Plains
*1 Temple of Plenty
*1 Tranquil Expanse
*1 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With all of the cards giving us a solid strategy, lets go into just what cards are doing the most work.</span></p>
<h2><b>Follow the Leader</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Citanul Hierophants"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scatter the Seeds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="March of the Multitudes"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we look at the cards included in the deck we have token generation as their primary function with some </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Convoke</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> being included as secondary options to activate our commander. In the deck's current state you may have an outlet to activate your commander every other turn or so, but you would be able to produce tokens through other means. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hornet Nest" href="#" target="_blank">Hornet Nest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a strong defensive card that can make us a number of flying deathtouching blockers. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maja, Bretagard Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Maja, Bretagard Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sporemound" href="#" target="_blank">Sporemound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> create tokens when a land enters the battlefield, with Maja going the distance and even buffing those creatures as well. With us being in green, we have more than a few ways to ramp out some lands giving these two cards ample chances to earn their keep. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since we are in the strategy of going wide we need some ways to buff our team so that we can get through. One of my favorite includes would be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion of Lambholt" href="#" target="_blank">Champion of Lambholt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It doesn't just incentivize us to create tokens, it also pumps itself and makes it harder for our opponents to block. Also in this same school of thought is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderfoot Baloth" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderfoot Baloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With our Commander having mana value two, we'll be able to have her on the field the majority of the time for the <em>Lieutenant</em> trigger. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loyal Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Loyal Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also buffs our team with some handy and permanent +1/+1 counters. With all of these and some other amazing options, we have a ton of ways to bolster our army so that they can overrun our opponents. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last but not least, let's go over some cards that are just good includes and will always pull through in a game for you. My favorite that is just a simple card is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Idol of Oblivion" href="#" target="_blank">Idol of Oblivion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It is a cheap and efficient card draw source that, over the game, will provide for you so long as you can continue to make the one token per turn that it needs, which we have a number of options for. On the higher end of the scale we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Camaraderie" href="#" target="_blank">Camaraderie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; it's another card draw source that gives us incidental life gain and a buff to our creatures. It can be expensive mana-wise, but the ceiling is so high you can always at least give it a try.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunderfoot Baloth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Champion of Lambholt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Idol of Oblivion"></div></div>
<h2><b>How does the Army fair?</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Token Triumph is an aggressive deck that aims to create tokens and ways to pump them with the plethora of buffs available to us. The deck is correctly named a Starter deck as it foregoes a lot of the common Commander cards to aid the strategy giving you the freedom to follow your own upgrade path. Focusing on accumulating a fighting force early game while chipping away at our opponents so that we can finish them with a mighty swing later on down the line. With a deck like this it is important to be mindful of overextension so that you don't overstep and lose too many resources to a board wipe.</span></p>
<h2><b>Final Thoughts </b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Token Triumph Starter deck is a synergistic deck. It has a cohesive them that is easy to execute so even without the inclusion of format “staples” it will do a pretty good job in kitchen table games. The <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Citanul Hierophants" href="#" target="_blank">Citanul Hierophants</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reprint is pretty great pickup and might now see another is quite a bit. What do you think about the Token Triumph Starter Deck?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Come back again to check out our upgrade article that will give you a bunch of recommendations on cards you can use to power up your token army. Don't forget to check out the <a href="https://twitter.com/scraptrawlers">Scrap Trawlers</a> on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/scraptrawlers">YouTube</a> as well as our <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/scraptrawlers">Twitch</a>. Hope to see you all again soon!</span></p>


Token Triumph - Precon Primer

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/camillealquier">Camille Alquier</a>)</h6>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hey friends! It’s time for another precon upgrade guide, courtesy of your favorite budget team, the Scrap Trawlers. I’m Andy, and today I’ll be showing you how to unleash more “Death from Above” with the Draconic Destruction Starter Deck. We’re adding MOAR DRAGONS, lowering the mana cost a bit, and reducing the removal so your friends don’t hate you when you slaughter them with your flying beasts. Because destruction should be fun, yes?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the original decklist:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Draconic Destruction" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Atarka, World Render
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Akoum Hellkite
*1 Demanding Dragon
*1 Draconic Disciple
*1 Dragon Mage
*1 Dragonkin Berserker
*1 Dragonlord&#039;s Servant
*1 Dragonmaster Outcast
*1 Dragonspeaker Shaman
*1 Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
*1 Dream Pillager
*1 Drumhunter
*1 Flameblast Dragon
*1 Foe-Razer Regent
*1 Furnace Whelp
*1 Harbinger of the Hunt
*1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
*1 Loaming Shaman
*1 Mordant Dragon
*1 Rapacious Dragon
*1 Runehorn Hellkite
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Savage Ventmaw
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Thunderbreak Regent
*1 Thundermaw Hellkite
*1 Tyrant&#039;s Familiar
*1 Verix Bladewing
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Atarka Monument
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Impulse
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Blossoming Defense
*1 Hunter&#039;s Insight
*1 Magmaquake
*1 Provoke the Trolls
*1 Return to Nature
*1 Spit Flame
*1 Unleash Fury
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Chain Reaction
*1 Clan Defiance
*1 Cultivate
*1 Harmonize
*1 Hunter&#039;s Prowess
*1 Primal Might
*1 Shamanic Revelation
*1 Sweltering Suns
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*12 Forest
*1 Game Trail
*1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
*1 Kazandu Refuge
*18 Mountain
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rugged Highlands
*1 Shivan Oasis
*1 Temple of Abandon
*1 Timber Gorge
[/Lands]
[Enchantments]
*1 Crucible of Fire
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Elemental Bond
*1 Fires of Yavimaya
*1 Frontier Siege
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
[/Planeswalkers]"></span></div>

<h2><b>Dragons Want Hugs</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our Dragon lord is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a 6/4 flyer with trample who gives all of our Dragons double strike when they attack. The original list only had 21 Dragons, which is a bit low for a creature type-themed deck. Sadly, it’s difficult to go much higher since Dragons aren’t terribly useful for card draw or ramp, especially since they generally have high casting costs, and we can’t lose slots in those important categories if we want the deck to function well. But we did get a small boost to our ramp suite from Commander Legends 2 with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ganax, Astral Hunter" href="#" target="_blank">Ganax, Astral Hunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scaled Nurturer" href="#" target="_blank">Scaled Nurturer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Nurturer is especially good since cheap ramp is so important to the deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ganax, Astral Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Domri, Anarch of Bolas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monster Manual"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I beefed up the ramp with a few other non-Dragon cards as well. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fellwar Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Fellwar Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a simple, cheap mana rock that may not always get you the colors you need, but usually does. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Domri, Anarch of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Domri, Anarch of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has 3 effects, all of which are highly relevant to this deck, so it seemed like a no-brainer to include him. The ramp and protection for our Dragon spells is great, but that additional one power point is so much more meaningful when the creatures have double strike. The fight effect is just icing. And last, though it’s not exactly ramp, it does help us to get our creatures out cheaply, and at instant speed! It’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monster Manual" href="#" target="_blank">Monster Manual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a sort of artifact version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Piper" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Piper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that is much more efficient since it won’t have summoning sickness and doesn’t die to removal.</span></p>
<h2><b>Double Or Nothing</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Improving the card draw in the deck was much more difficult. It was hard to find cards that would be meaningful for the deck that also wouldn’t hurt our chances of lowering our mana curve. But I was able to add two Dragons to this suite. Well, one Dragon and a Changeling, which still counts! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonborn Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonborn Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> draws us a card whenever we deal 5 or more damage, which will be vastly improved with double strike. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Realmwalker" href="#" target="_blank">Realmwalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to look at the top card of our library and play Dragons from it! For just a touch more card draw, I threw in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return of the Wildspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Return of the Wildspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can also potentially function as a finisher with its pump option.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return of the Wildspeaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrakkus the Butcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bower Passage"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For other additions, I pulled in two more cards from Commander Legends 2: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrakkus the Butcher" href="#" target="_blank">Thrakkus the Butcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Chaos Dragon is a cheap 4/4, which is exactly what the deck needed, and Thrakkus is just plain nasty with double strike. Like, Janet Jackson’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujnq2v6R02U">“Nasty”</a> could be Thrakkus’s WWE walk-on song for this deck. It’s that good.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’re also adding a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrap in Vigor" href="#" target="_blank">Wrap in Vigor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is a “<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Intervention" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> we have at home” type of deal, but still very worth it as a cheap addition to protect your horde from board wipes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Wolf Run" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Wolf Run</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will take one of our land slots because it belongs in every red/green combat deck. And last is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bower Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Bower Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a two-mana enchantment that makes your flyers practically unblockable. Wait, what? Yes, that’s what it does. I thought it was crazy and had to re-read it a couple of times. And it’s cheap! You can buy it for less than a quarter! The only thing that can still block your flyers is creatures with reach, which is not a terribly common ability in Commander.</span></p>
<h2><b>Dragons Raze</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Okay, we added in a bunch of cards. Now, as is customary (according to some rules thing or other), we have to cut some cards so we’re back down to 100. Taking out cards from this list was not easy. At all. Especially when I realized that not every Dragon from the original list was gonna make the cut. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rapacious Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Rapacious Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> got the ax because two treasures for 5 mana just wasn’t a good enough investment, especially since it’s only a 3/3. And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Furnace Whelp" href="#" target="_blank">Furnace Whelp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is gone because it’s just not good. I don’t care how much you like Firebreathing, 4 mana for a 2/2 is just not keepable. Thankfully, we’re still left with 24 Dragons in the deck. Not the 30 I wanted, but still an improvement.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drumhunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frontier Siege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sweltering Suns"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some non-Dragons facing the chop are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonkin Berserker" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonkin Berserker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drumhunter" href="#" target="_blank">Drumhunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Berserker requires you to attack with a 2/2 to get any kind of effect, which is unlikely to happen more than once. Drumhunter was a tougher cut, since it’s both ramp and card draw. But it needed to go to make room for more Dragons. And Sarkhan is out for his high cost.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Remember in the original list there were 22 removal cards? We cut several of those. In addition to Sarkhan, I’m taking out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spit Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Spit Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sweltering Suns" href="#" target="_blank">Sweltering Suns</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain Reaction" href="#" target="_blank">Chain Reaction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frontier Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Frontier Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Provoke the Trolls" href="#" target="_blank">Provoke the Trolls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But don’t you fret; there are still 16 cards in our removal suite. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unleash Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Unleash Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a neat combat trick, especially with double strike, but just felt like a win-more card. And last, we’re cutting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shamanic Revelation" href="#" target="_blank">Shamanic Revelation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This isn’t exactly a go-wide deck, so we don’t want to be stuck with this as our card draw if we’ve only got one Dragon on the field. We’re much better off with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return of the Wildspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Return of the Wildspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And finally, I took out two Mountains and added one Forest. Just to even things out a bit better.</span></p>
<h2><b>Dragon’s Hoard</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For those less budget-conscious who, for reasons I can’t fathom, would like to throw a bunch of money at this precon, I’ve got some fantastic ideas for you.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If there’s one card I could make super cheap to include in my upgrade list, it would definitely be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza’s Incubator" href="#" target="_blank">Urza’s Incubator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Dragons need this card more than any other creature type, since they’re so expensive to cast. Also for ramp, throw in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaver Cleaver" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaver Cleaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to go swimming in treasure. For more card draw you can add <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vanquisher’s Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Vanquisher’s Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And for protection you’ve got the aforementioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Intervention" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as well as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Asceticism" href="#" target="_blank">Asceticism</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza&#039;s Incubator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Asceticism"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utvara Hellkite"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This being a Dragon deck and all, we can’t forget about those expensive Dragons! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Copper Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Copper Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Bronze Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Bronze Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">love</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to have double strike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes a ridiculous number of friends. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can speed up the game nicely. And <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> is a fun alternate win condition if smashing face starts to get boring.</span></p>
<h2><b>Final Thoughts</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the final upgraded deck list:</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Draconic Destruction Upgraded" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Atarka, World Render
[/Commander]
[Lands]
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*13 Forest
*1 Game Trail
*1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
*1 Kazandu Refuge
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*16 Mountain
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rugged Highlands
*1 Shivan Oasis
*1 Temple of Abandon
*1 Timber Gorge
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
*1 Akoum Hellkite
*1 Chaos Dragon
*1 Demanding Dragon
*1 Draconic Disciple
*1 Dragon Mage
*1 Dragonborn Champion
*1 Dragonlord&#039;s Servant
*1 Dragonmaster Outcast
*1 Dragonspeaker Shaman
*1 Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
*1 Dream Pillager
*1 Flameblast Dragon
*1 Foe-Razer Regent
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Harbinger of the Hunt
*1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
*1 Loaming Shaman
*1 Mordant Dragon
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Runehorn Hellkite
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Savage Ventmaw
*1 Scaled Nurturer
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Thrakkus the Butcher
*1 Thunderbreak Regent
*1 Thundermaw Hellkite
*1 Tyrant&#039;s Familiar
*1 Verix Bladewing
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Blossoming Defense
*1 Hunter&#039;s Insight
*1 Magmaquake
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker
*1 Return to Nature
*1 Wrap in Vigor
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Atarka Monument
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Monster Manual // Zoological Study
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Impulse
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Domri, Anarch of Bolas
[/Planeswalkers]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bower Passage
*1 Crucible of Fire
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Elemental Bond
*1 Fires of Yavimaya
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Clan Defiance
*1 Cultivate
*1 Harmonize
*1 Hunter&#039;s Prowess
*1 Primal Might
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]"></span></div>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We didn’t manage to make much improvement to the Dragon count or the average mana value. We only netted 3 additional Dragons and lowered the average MV from 3.82 to 3.73. Small changes, but with this new list we’ll be getting our Dragons out more quickly, and not constantly pinging our opponents’ things off the board. Which I’m sure they’ll appreciate. And the upgrade only cost us about $15! Well worth it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Okay friends, that’s all I’ve got for you for the Draconic Destruction Starter Deck. What do you think? Tell me in the comments below, or hit us up on <a href="https://twitter.com/scraptrawlers">Twitter</a>. You can also catch our other budget content on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/scraptrawlers">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/scraptrawlers">Twitch</a>. And keep your eyes peeled here for more precon guides, because the precon party don’t stop. Until next time, remember to budget…before you buy it.</span></p>


Draconic Destruction - Upgrade Guide

Grave Danger - Upgrade Guide

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kardur, Doomscourge" href="#" target="_blank">Kardur, Doomscourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://helgecbalzer.com/">Helge C. Balzer</a>)</h6>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kardur, the Starter</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hey friends! The precons just keep on coming, and so the Scrap Trawlers are back with some more primers and upgrade guides for you. This time we’re turning our attention to the new Starter Commander Decks that Wizards released on December 2nd. These 5 two-color decks are marketed as a way to get your friends and family into playing the best format of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">. And just in time for the holidays! The decks are built with beginners in mind, so we’ll have to keep reminding ourselves of that as we review, and obviously temper our expectations as to the efficacy of each deck. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about them! I’m Andy, and today I’m bringing you the deck led by one of my favorite Rakdos legends, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kardur, Doomscourge" href="#" target="_blank">Kardur, Doomscourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dance, Puppets, Dance!</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kardur, Doomscourge"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kardur is a 4/3 Demon Berserker who has a quasi-goad effect when he enters the battlefield. Until your next turn, all creatures your opponents control have to attack someone other than you. Now keep in mind this isn’t technically goad, as it doesn’t affect your opponents’ creatures. Rather, it affects your opponents, so it will also cause any creatures that enter with haste to be required to attack as well. Then, because it wasn’t already awesome enough, Kardur drains life from opponents whenever an attacking creature dies. Any attacking creature, doesn’t matter who controls it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’ll confess to having tried to build a Kardur deck myself at one point. But the problem with having Kardur in the command zone is that you lose that element of surprise that you would’ve gotten from playing him from your hand. Also, Kardur is one of those rare commanders that you don’t want to play ASAP. He’s better to be patient with, and cast when the board is full so you can drop him and watch your opponents slap each other about. Because of this, I’m not thrilled with this choice as the leader for a beginner deck. But we’ll come back to that later.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As with most Commander precons, the deck comes with an alternate leader, and this one happens to be one of my </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">other</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> favorite Rakdos legends: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaervek the Merciless" href="#" target="_blank">Kaervek the Merciless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Kaervek is so good, dishing out damage whenever your opponents cast spells. But he also has a tendency to get hated off the board quickly. So I wouldn’t recommend him as a commander for beginners, as there’s nothing more disheartening to a beginner than not getting to play with your commander.</span></p>
<p>Here's the full decklist:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Chaos Incarnate" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kardur, Doomscourge
[/Commander]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Deadly Tempest
*1 Dredge the Mire
*1 Explosion of Riches
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Fiery Confluence
*1 Hate Mirage
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Profane Command
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Reign of the Pit
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Syphon Mind
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Coveted Jewel
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Nihil Spellbomb
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Indulgence
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Archfiend of Depravity
*1 Bloodgift Demon
*1 Brash Taunter
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Geode Rager
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Indulgent Tormentor
*1 Kaervek the Merciless
*1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
*1 Magmatic Force
*1 Rakshasa Debaser
*1 Sangromancer
*1 Scythe Specter
*1 Sepulchral Primordial
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Stormfist Crusader
*1 Tectonic Giant
*1 Thermo-Alchemist
*1 Titan Hunter
*1 Vampire Nighthawk
*1 Wildfire Devils
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Breath of Malfegor
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Rakdos Charm
*1 Soul Shatter
*1 Terminate
*1 Unlicensed Disintegration
*1 Wild Ricochet
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Dictate of the Twin Gods
*1 Spiteful Visions
*1 Sunbird&#039;s Invocation
*1 Theater of Horrors
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Akoum Refuge
*1 Bloodfell Caves
*1 Cinder Barrens
*1 Command Tower
*1 Foreboding Ruins
*1 Molten Slagheap
*14 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Stensia Bloodhall
*15 Swamp
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Urborg Volcano
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What's it Do?</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chaos Warp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brash Taunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archfiend of Depravity"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alright, so here’s where we talk about the deck’s themes and strategies, how it’s supposed to win, and whatnot. But I gotta tell you, it took me a not-small amount of time to figure this deck out. To be honest, I’m still not totally sure. The deck is all over the place. It feels like someone dropped a box of bulk and cheap Commander staples into a pile and called it a deck. Which is ridiculous. But then it dawned on me…isn’t that </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">exactly</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> what beginner Commander players do when they build their first decks? In most cases, I believe it is. But that doesn’t mean Wizards should build a deck that way and sell it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The deck is called Chaos Incarnate, so one might assume a bit of a chaos theme. But, aside from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, nary a chaos to be found. The biggest themes of the deck are direct damage and creature destruction/resurrection. Direct damage is supported by cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magmatic Force" href="#" target="_blank">Magmatic Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaervek the Merciless" href="#" target="_blank">Kaervek the Merciless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tectonic Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Tectonic Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brash Taunter" href="#" target="_blank">Brash Taunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (my boo), with some damage enhancement coming from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of the Twin Gods" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of the Twin Gods</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The deck is exceptionally heavy on removal spells, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Depravity" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Depravity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reign of the Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Reign of the Pit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to name just a few. And then we’re trying to get some of those tasty creatures back to our battlefield, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rakshasa Debaser" href="#" target="_blank">Rakshasa Debaser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sepulchral Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Sepulchral Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dredge the Mire" href="#" target="_blank">Dredge the Mire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Profane Command" href="#" target="_blank">Profane Command</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Now you may be asking yourself, why would I want Kardur, who wants my opponents to attack each other with as many creatures as possible, to lead a deck if I’m just going to kill all my opponents’ creatures? And that’s a very good question. A good question indeed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I would’ve expected more goad effects in the deck, since that’s our commander’s theme, but all we’ve got is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geode Rager" href="#" target="_blank">Geode Rager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. There’s a sub-theme of dealing damage for instants and sorceries with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thermo-Alchemist" href="#" target="_blank">Thermo-Alchemist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but with only 22 instants and sorceries in the deck, it’s not exactly a reliable strategy. </span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to Play it</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Indulgent Tormentor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coveted Jewel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodgift Demon"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In playtesting, I found the deck functions best when you’re really focusing on the direct damage. Unfortunately the deck doesn’t have enough of it, so you’re also going to have to attack. Thankfully there are a few beaters in the deck to satisfy this need, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Indulgent Tormentor" href="#" target="_blank">Indulgent Tormentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodgift Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodgift Demon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The deck’s average mana value is 4.00, which is way higher than it really should be. It’s somewhat balanced out by having 40 lands in the deck, but I’d much rather see a lower curve and one or two fewer lands with more cheap, but effective spells. As is, make sure your starting hand has some ramp, because you’re gonna need it to cast your spells. There’s a lot of card draw/advantage in the deck, but much of it is on expensive cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunbird’s Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Sunbird’s Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coveted Jewel" href="#" target="_blank">Coveted Jewel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so you can’t rely on cheap card draw to find your ramp in the early game.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hang onto Kardur until the best moment, which is when your opponents all have threats on the board. Use their creatures against each other to chip away at their life totals enough that your direct damage effects and flying demons can sneak in and finish the job.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Final Thoughts</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck does a poor job of supporting its commander’s abilities. It chooses to focus more on a variety of red and black’s greatest hits, like direct damage and graveyard recursion. Because of this, the deck has an identity crisis that I can only imagine would be confusing to a beginner. And, frankly, I don't think Kardur is a good choice for a beginner commander anyway. The decision of when to play him is complicated, and I'd rather a beginner start with a commander that is always good to have on the field.</span></p>
<p><b>Verdict: Skip it</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Veterans of Commander won’t find much in this deck for valuable reprints, with the only notable cards being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Depravity" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Depravity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And the lands suite is one of the cheapest I’ve seen, including such duds as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg Volcano" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg Volcano</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stensia Bloodhall" href="#" target="_blank">Stensia Bloodhall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even for $30, which seems to be the typical price for these decks, it’s just not worth it. And beginners will be better off with one of the other decks from this series.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’re not done yet! If your Aunt Rudy gave you this deck for Xmas and you just wanna make it better without spending a lot of money, I’ve got you covered in my next article, which goes over the best cards to add to the deck to make it better. So keep your eye out for that! And don’t forget to check out the other budget content from Scrap Trawlers over on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/scraptrawlers">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/scraptrawlers">Twitch</a> pages. Until next time, remember to budget…before you buy it.</span></p>


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