Channeled ForceChanneled Force | Art by Randy Vargas

This is Fire and Ice, the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article!

In this series, we'll draw conclusions from EDHREC's data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight into how the format's players are thinking about new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.

Today, we're focusing on Assassin's Creed's most popular commander, Ezio Auditore da FirenzeEzio Auditore da Firenze! He discounts all of our Assassin spells, and can even end the game early for an unlucky opponent who he connects with.

Ezio Auditore da FirenzeEzio Auditore da Firenze

What's Hot and What's Not for Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Ezio's freerunning ability means this deck can cheat out high cost Assassins for just . This deck is fast, resilient, and makes use of the best cards in all of Magic thanks to its five-color identity.

Ezio, Blade of VengeanceEzio, Blade of Vengeance is actually one of the most popular cards in this list, finding a slot in 82% of Ezio Auditore da Firenze lists. Queen MarchesaQueen Marchesa and Royal AssassinRoyal Assassin are popular too, finding spots in 69% and 63% of these typal decks, respectively.

What's Fiery for Ezio Decks?

Vincent ValentineVincent Valentine - Fire Score of 3.91

This creature is much better than it seems at first. If we manage to get Vincent on the board early with Ezio's ability, he can become a huge, lifelinking threat that our opponents will struggle to deal with permanently.

Vincent was a beast in Final Fantasy Limited, and this deck seems poised to maximize its potential in Commander.

Shizo, Death's StorehouseShizo, Death's Storehouse - Fire Score of 2.50

Ezio loves , and he also loves giving evasion to creatures. The combination of menace and fear makes our commander very difficult to block, so we can get freerunning active with ease. Some Ezio decks also integrate Legends-Matter subthemes, making this land even stronger!

Dark RitualDark Ritual - Fire Score of 2.37

A classic in any deck that cares about , Dark Ritual can make Ezio's freerunning ability easy to pay for. This instant is one of the strongest Magic cards ever printed, and Ezio's hunger for means its a great fit in our 99.

Whispersilk CloakWhispersilk Cloak - Fire Score of 2.32

This Equipment is very strong, but it isn't built for every deck. For players that want to target their commander with other Auras, Equipment, and buff spells, the shroud that the Cloak provides can be troublesome.

But we don't really want to target Ezio with anything. So the protection and evasion this artifact provides are both great.

Reliquary TowerReliquary Tower - Fire Score of 2.26

I don't love this inclusion. I know that Ezio lists aren't as reliant on all five colors of mana as other rainbow commanders, but the deck does still need a diverse mana base to function well. Including a colorless land like this doesn't make much sense, especially when we're often able to dump a hand full of creatures onto the board with ease.

Vincent, Vengeful AtonerVincent, Vengeful Atoner - Fire Score of 2.24

This is a fantastic design. It's far from the strongest Assassin available to Commander players, but it's fun to load this creature up with +1/+1 counters before swinging in to take a chunk out of each opponent's life total.

With all the evasive Assassins in our 99, Vincent should get very large very quickly.

Birds of ParadiseBirds of Paradise - Fire Score of 2.16

Arguably the strongest mana dork in Commander, BOP is a shoo in for high-color decks. It may not be an Assassin, but this Bird gives us the mana we'll need to pull off some crazy game actions down the line.

What's Icy for Ezio Decks?

MurderMurder - Ice Score of -3.18

Murder is a classic kill spell, and one of our format's staples. But it's showing its age. Two-mana variants of the card carry fewer drawbacks than ever before, making this instant's mana cost of feel clunky.

Five-color decks like this even have access to one-mana kill spells like PongifyPongify, making Murder unconscionable.

Shay CormacShay Cormac - Ice Score of -2.73

This is an interesting card. We aren't running a ton of removal, and this is mostly a kindred deck, making the bounty counter part of Shay Cormac somewhat irrelevant.

This creature's first ability is nice to have, but definitely not super relevant to our game plan. I'd guess that many players included this card because it was printed in the same set as Ezio, but are now taking it out as they optimize their lists.

Phantom BladePhantom Blade - Ice Score of -2.58

This is a piece of draft chaff. It's a four-mana kill spell that provides some incidental value after the fact. We can do much better than this, especially because of the deck's color identity. Paying to kill something and give one of our creatures menace feels really bad.

Chain AssassinationChain Assassination - Ice Score of -2.57

I think this instant is exceptionally well designed. It's a flavorful, powerful card that works well in Aristocrats decks that also happen to have an evasive commander (or Assassin) on hand. Typical Ezio lists can't reliably sacrifice their own creatures, nor do they run enough removal to make this card always operate at full effectiveness. This kill spell seems better suited for an Evereth, Viceroy of PlunderEvereth, Viceroy of Plunder deck, for example.

Assassin GauntletAssassin Gauntlet - Ice Score of -2.31

Much like Phantom BladePhantom Blade, this is draft chaff. It combines two effects on a somewhat efficiently-costed Equipment, but neither half of it is really that strong. I'd rather give evasion to my creatures through Cover of DarknessCover of Darkness than play this subpar artifact.

Go for the ThroatGo for the Throat and Fatal PushFatal Push - Ice Scores of -2.21 and -2.18

I'd like to talk about these removal spells together. They're both conditional, cheap instants that destroy an opposing creature, so pairing them feels right. I think their conditionality is why their popularity is falling, though. Ezio players may not want to worry about the effectiveness of their removal, and would prefer to run spells that can get rid of any problematic permanent that's on the field.

The Revelations of EzioThe Revelations of Ezio - Ice Score of -2.05

This is another subpar removal spell, but it's stronger than many of the other cards we've discussed today. If we wait a few turns, it also reanimates a creature for us! Sadly, I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze. This Saga's first chapter can only remove a tapped creature, which is a pretty big restriction. Its second chapter is nice, but certainly not game-altering. And Revelations' third chapter is great, but it's frustrating to wait two turns for it to kick in.

If I really want a removal spell that also recurs a creature, I'd rather play Rise of the Witch-kingRise of the Witch-king.

Origin of the Hidden OnesOrigin of the Hidden Ones - Ice Score of -2.03

Another Saga from Assassin's Creed! This enchantment's first two chapters are just ok, so we're really here for its final ability. It's like an on-theme version of the first half of Indulge // ExcessIndulge // Excess, and can make a ton of Assassin creature tokens with the right board state.

But, it costs and we've got to wait two turns to access its most powerful chapter. That doesn't feel good enough.

Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares - Ice Score of -2.03

I have to admit, I'm puzzled by this card's decline in popularity. It's a cheap, highly effective removal spell that can dispatch most any on-board threat with ease. I would imagine that this is exactly the kind of instant that Ezio pilots would want. If any of you know why this card has been taken out of some lists, please do let me know in the comments.

What's in an Ezio Auditore da Firenze Commander Deck?

Here's an Ezio list with all his Fiery cards and none of his Icy cards!

Conclusion

As a five-color Assassin commander, Ezio allows pilots to bring together cards from across Magic's history. This can create fun game states, but Ezio's power level is at times a bit too much for casual tables.

Do you think this commander is better suited for Bracket 3 or Bracket 4? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and I'll be back with more Fire and Ice soon!