Ilharg, the Raze-BoarIlharg, the Raze-Boar by Filip Burburan | Purphoros, Bronze-BloodedPurphoros, Bronze-Blooded by Eric Deschamps
Sneak Attack
During the events of War of the Spark, Nicol Bolas released waves of lazotep-encrusted undead from the plane of Amonkhet to lay siege to the city of Ravnica. Chief among them were the God-Eternals, from God-Eternal RhonasGod-Eternal Rhonas to God-Eternal OketraGod-Eternal Oketra (who is, incidentally, a commander folks should play immediately to help expand their definitions of 'card advantage'). Not all five Gods of Amonkhet came to Ravnica, however; Hazoret, the FerventHazoret, the Fervent, in a move perchance inspired by Urabrask, the HiddenUrabrask, the Hidden, turned against her fellow deities to defend the people against Bolas's tyranny. This left room for the designers of War of the Spark to create another mono-red legend, one whom the Gruul clans have revered for generations: Ilharg, the Raze-BoarIlharg, the Raze-Boar.
Ilharg provided mono-red EDH players an outlet to use a Sneak AttackSneak Attack strategy, slamming huge creatures into play turn after turn for brief bouts of insane power. However, with the arrival of the new year, Ilharg's Sneak AttackSneak Attack throne is being challenge by yet another God, not from Amonkhet, but from Theros.
Purphoros, Bronze-BloodedPurphoros, Bronze-Blooded takes the Sneak AttackSneak Attack parallel in a more literal direction, right down to being an enchantment himself. Both commanders love to put huge creatures into play for super cheap, and have dozens of fun tricks they can pull off with those creatures, too. If you're looking for a Sneak AttackSneak Attack type of deck, which of these commanders is right for you? Let's find out on this week's Commander Showdown!
You Gotta Put Your Behind in Your Past
To call Ilharg, the Raze-BoarIlharg, the Raze-Boar a Sneak AttackSneak Attack is not entirely accurate. The primary effect is similar - you get a huge, free creature for one turn - but the actual mechanisms are different. The most important difference is that Ilharg puts a creature into play already tapped and attacking. This may trigger an enters-the-battlefield ability, such as Bogardan HellkiteBogardan Hellkite, but it will bypass any 'on attack' triggers, such as Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm.
Additionally, Ilharg can sometimes run into a funny nonbo with some of red's very favorite spells: extra combats. Casting a Relentless AssaultRelentless Assault to give Ilharg another chance to put a huge monster into play is indeed terrific. However, the first creature Ilharg snuck into play does not have haste, and won't be able to join in on the fun without some form of FervorFervor effect to assist. (Luckily for them, Ilharg loves haste enablers, since he wants to attack and bring creatures into play ASAP.)
These differences are largely made up for by the fact that Ilharg avoids Sneak AttackSneak Attack's biggest downside. Ilharg bounces the creature back to hand at the end of the turn, rather than sacrificing it. Ilharg may bring the same big creature into play over and over and over, rather than losing it after just one swing.
Of course, mono-red has flirted with negative end step abilities for years, and Feldon of the Third PathFeldon of the Third Path taught us ages ago that there are ways to keep those creatures around.
In response to Ilharg's end-of-turn trigger, Sundial of the InfiniteSundial of the Infinite can end the turn, exiling the ability and keeping the creatures in play for good. Alternatively, Conjurer's ClosetConjurer's Closet can flicker the creature, preventing it from returning to the hand, and keeping it in play. It's hard not to get giddy at the prospect of playing these creatures for no mana at all!
Commander (1)
- 1 Ilharg, the Raze-BoarIlharg, the Raze-Boar
Creatures (28)
- 1 AngerAnger
- 1 Avatar of SlaughterAvatar of Slaughter
- 1 Balefire DragonBalefire Dragon
- 1 Bloodsworn StewardBloodsworn Steward
- 1 Bogardan HellkiteBogardan Hellkite
- 1 Breaker of ArmiesBreaker of Armies
- 1 Combustible GearhulkCombustible Gearhulk
- 1 Crater HellionCrater Hellion
- 1 Dockside ExtortionistDockside Extortionist
- 1 DuplicantDuplicant
- 1 Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm
- 1 Fanatic of MogisFanatic of Mogis
- 1 Fiendish DuoFiendish Duo
- 1 Generator ServantGenerator Servant
- 1 Hellkite TyrantHellkite Tyrant
- 1 Meteor GolemMeteor Golem
- 1 Mindclaw ShamanMindclaw Shaman
- 1 Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere
- 1 Neheb, the EternalNeheb, the Eternal
- 1 Ogre BattledriverOgre Battledriver
- 1 Sandstone OracleSandstone Oracle
- 1 Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum
- 1 Spawn of ThraxesSpawn of Thraxes
- 1 Steel HellkiteSteel Hellkite
- 1 Terror of Mount VelusTerror of Mount Velus
- 1 ThundermareThundermare
- 1 Tyrant of DiscordTyrant of Discord
- 1 Urabrask the HiddenUrabrask the Hidden
Enchantments (7)
- 1 Aggravated AssaultAggravated Assault
- 1 Berserkers' OnslaughtBerserkers' Onslaught
- 1 FervorFervor
- 1 Gratuitous ViolenceGratuitous Violence
- 1 Hammer of PurphorosHammer of Purphoros
- 1 Purphoros, Bronze-BloodedPurphoros, Bronze-Blooded
- 1 Warstorm SurgeWarstorm Surge
Sorceries (5)
- 1 Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act
- 1 Chain ReactionChain Reaction
- 1 Disrupt DecorumDisrupt Decorum
- 1 Mana GeyserMana Geyser
- 1 VandalblastVandalblast
Instants (4)
- 1 Bolt BendBolt Bend
- 1 Chaos WarpChaos Warp
- 1 PyroblastPyroblast
- 1 Savage BeatingSavage Beating
Artifacts (18)
- 1 Arcane SignetArcane Signet
- 1 Caged SunCaged Sun
- 1 Coldsteel HeartColdsteel Heart
- 1 Commander's SphereCommander's Sphere
- 1 Conjurer's ClosetConjurer's Closet
- 1 EmbercleaveEmbercleave
- 1 Endless AtlasEndless Atlas
- 1 Fire DiamondFire Diamond
- 1 Hedron ArchiveHedron Archive
- 1 Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves
- 1 Mind StoneMind Stone
- 1 Sol RingSol Ring
- 1 Strionic ResonatorStrionic Resonator
- 1 Sundial of the InfiniteSundial of the Infinite
- 1 Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots
- 1 The Immortal SunThe Immortal Sun
- 1 Tome of LegendsTome of Legends
- 1 Wayfarer's BaubleWayfarer's Bauble
Lands (37)
- 1 Desert of the FerventDesert of the Fervent
- 1 Flamekin VillageFlamekin Village
- 1 Ghost QuarterGhost Quarter
- 1 Hall of the Bandit LordHall of the Bandit Lord
- 1 Hanweir BattlementsHanweir Battlements
- 1 Homeward PathHomeward Path
- 26 MountainMountain
- 1 Myriad LandscapeMyriad Landscape
- 1 Rogue's PassageRogue's Passage
- 1 Scavenger GroundsScavenger Grounds
- 1 Smoldering CraterSmoldering Crater
- 1 Spinerock KnollSpinerock Knoll
Seasoned Ilharg players may notice the lack of PanharmoniconPanharmonicon, Mirror MarchMirror March, and Flameshadow ConjuringFlameshadow Conjuring in the list above. Surely this is madness, yes? Does this writer not know how deliciously powerful it would be to play a free Tyrant of DiscordTyrant of Discord, trigger it twice, and then cascade into a bazillion token copies, especially if there's a Warstorm SurgeWarstorm Surge in play!?
Well, this writer does know it, but still struggled to reconcile those cards with Ilharg's actual patterns of play. Ilharg is forced to strike a very tough balance between ETB creatures and powerful attackers, and I found myself drawn more to the Terror of Mount VelusTerror of Mount Veluses, Fiendish DuoFiendish Duos, Avatar of SlaughterAvatar of Slaughters and Balefire DragonBalefire Dragons of the world. When I rounded out my creature roster, I found only eight or nine creatures I would actually want to consistently replicate for extra ETB abilities. Not only that, but since Flameshadow ConjuringFlameshadow Conjuring doesn't allow the tokens to attack when Ilharg has already swung in during combat, it became a harder sell; it ultimately sounded like a lot of work to imitate a Yarok, the DesecratedYarok, the Desecrated, and I decided it's better to play red like it's red, and not like it's Sultai.
Of course, this perspective may ignore the reality that these enchantments may actually be played as a replacement for Ilharg, rather than as a supplement to him; if he becomes too costly, it behooves his hooves to stay in the command zone and let his enchantments make big beasties on his behalf, because we will in fact want to cast these creatures from our hand, not just flip them in and out of play with the big pig. This is a mighty compelling argument, and I'll trust any and all Ilharg players who swear by these synergies. Ilharg must balance haste enablers with powerful attackers and powerful ETB effects on top of these enchantments, so choose your own balances wisely!
Gold, Silver, and Bronze Blood
Up next is Purphoros, Bronze-BloodedPurphoros, Bronze-Blooded, who mimics the card Sneak AttackSneak Attack more directly. Importantly, Purphoros also grants haste to all his other creatures, a FervorFervor in the command zone. This does mean that if he puts a creature into play with his ability, but then himself falls to an Utter EndUtter End, the creature will lose haste, and won't be able to attack before it is sacrificed. This, however, is a minor drawback to an otherwise excellent commander.
Importantly, Purphoros does not put creatures into play already attacking, like Ilharg. This allows him to access attack triggers right away, such as those found on Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm, Drakuseth, Maw of FlamesDrakuseth, Maw of Flames, Scourge of the ThroneScourge of the Throne, or Utvara HellkiteUtvara Hellkite. It's a small distinction, but it opens the doors to some extremely excellent value.
What's more, Purphoros does not bounce the creature back to hand - he sacrifices it. This opens up other unique avenues to take advantage of death triggers. A Cauldron of SoulsCauldron of Souls can act as a pseudo-Conjurer's ClosetConjurer's Closet. Feldon of the Third PathFeldon of the Third Path may join in on the fun by reviving the dead creatures for another go.
Creatures with powerful death triggers may also shine here. Ryusei, the Falling StarRyusei, the Falling Star would do little for Ilharg, but keeps Purphoros's foes clear of nonflying creatures. Hoarding DragonHoarding Dragon does not have to wait to find a great artifact and put it into your hand. Wurmcoil EngineWurmcoil Engine may leave behind a few bodies, and then be placed under your Mimic VatMimic Vat to return to fight again and again.
And for those wondering, I did find the timing of Purphoros's abilities more suitable to the Mirror MarchMirror March effects, since the copies will be able to join in on combat right away!
The Bronze Medal
View on ArchidektCommander (1)
- 1 Purphoros, Bronze-BloodedPurphoros, Bronze-Blooded
Enchantments (8)
- 1 Aggravated AssaultAggravated Assault
- 1 Experimental FrenzyExperimental Frenzy
- 1 Fires of InventionFires of Invention
- 1 Flameshadow ConjuringFlameshadow Conjuring
- 1 Gratuitous ViolenceGratuitous Violence
- 1 Mirror MarchMirror March
- 1 Tectonic ReformationTectonic Reformation
- 1 Warstorm SurgeWarstorm Surge
Creatures (29)
- 1 Ancient Stone IdolAncient Stone Idol
- 1 Angrath's MaraudersAngrath's Marauders
- 1 Avatar of SlaughterAvatar of Slaughter
- 1 Balefire DragonBalefire Dragon
- 1 Combustible GearhulkCombustible Gearhulk
- 1 Dockside ExtortionistDockside Extortionist
- 1 Dragon MageDragon Mage
- 1 Drakuseth, Maw of FlamesDrakuseth, Maw of Flames
- 1 Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm
- 1 Feldon of the Third PathFeldon of the Third Path
- 1 Fiendish DuoFiendish Duo
- 1 Hellkite TyrantHellkite Tyrant
- 1 Hoarding DragonHoarding Dragon
- 1 Ilharg, the Raze-BoarIlharg, the Raze-Boar
- 1 Inferno TitanInferno Titan
- 1 Magus of the WheelMagus of the Wheel
- 1 Meteor GolemMeteor Golem
- 1 Molten PrimordialMolten Primordial
- 1 Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere
- 1 Runehorn HellkiteRunehorn Hellkite
- 1 Ryusei, the Falling StarRyusei, the Falling Star
- 1 Sandstone OracleSandstone Oracle
- 1 Scourge of the ThroneScourge of the Throne
- 1 Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum
- 1 Steel HellkiteSteel Hellkite
- 1 Terror of Mount VelusTerror of Mount Velus
- 1 Tyrant's FamiliarTyrant's Familiar
- 1 Utvara HellkiteUtvara Hellkite
- 1 Wurmcoil EngineWurmcoil Engine
Artifacts (18)
- 1 Arcane SignetArcane Signet
- 1 Cauldron of SoulsCauldron of Souls
- 1 Coldsteel HeartColdsteel Heart
- 1 Commander's SphereCommander's Sphere
- 1 Conjurer's ClosetConjurer's Closet
- 1 Endless AtlasEndless Atlas
- 1 Erratic PortalErratic Portal
- 1 Fire DiamondFire Diamond
- 1 Hedron ArchiveHedron Archive
- 1 Mimic VatMimic Vat
- 1 Mind StoneMind Stone
- 1 Mirage MirrorMirage Mirror
- 1 SkullclampSkullclamp
- 1 Sol RingSol Ring
- 1 Star CompassStar Compass
- 1 Sundial of the InfiniteSundial of the Infinite
- 1 Wayfarer's BaubleWayfarer's Bauble
- 1 Worn PowerstoneWorn Powerstone
Lands (36)
- 1 Desert of the FerventDesert of the Fervent
- 1 Endless SandsEndless Sands
- 1 Forgotten CaveForgotten Cave
- 29 MountainMountain
- 1 Myriad LandscapeMyriad Landscape
- 1 Scavenger GroundsScavenger Grounds
- 1 Smoldering CraterSmoldering Crater
- 1 Spinerock KnollSpinerock Knoll
Sorceries (6)
- 1 Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act
- 1 Chain ReactionChain Reaction
- 1 Faithless LootingFaithless Looting
- 1 Reforge the SoulReforge the Soul
- 1 Seize the DaySeize the Day
- 1 VandalblastVandalblast
Instants (2)
- 1 Chaos WarpChaos Warp
- 1 Thrill of PossibilityThrill of Possibility
Where Ilharg, the Raze-BoarIlharg, the Raze-Boar had to dedicate more card slots on haste and protection to enable his strategy, Purphoros, Bronze-BloodedPurphoros, Bronze-Blooded does not need to spend as much time on these concerns, as he is himself the haste enabler, and is much more difficult to remove from play.
That doesn't mean he's without his faults, though; much more than Ilharg, Purphoros runs the risk of running out of steam. Ilharg may only drop one creature into play at a time, but he can keep bringing it back over and over, Balefire DragonBalefire Dragoning the countryside multiple times in a row. With just one powerful creature, Ilharg is set up to wreak havoc for many turns, spending mana on other enablers, creatures, and artifacts to build out the board while playing and replaying just one creature for free each turn.
Purphoros, on the other hand, is much more desperate to find either a Sundial of the InfiniteSundial of the Infinite, Mimic VatMimic Vat, or Erratic PortalErratic Portal to keep the creatures around, or to find sources of card advantage like a Sandstone OracleSandstone Oracle to replace the creatures he's spinning through. If he doesn't, he may have to resort to hard-casting creatures, rather than playing them for super cheap, or else run out of cards entirely. Like most Gods in Theros, this makes him extremely fickle.
Simply put, Ilharg is a creature of habit, while Purphoros is on an endless mission to find the next big thing.
Cards to Consider
Before we depart, let's linger for a moment on a few cards these commanders may want to take for a spin.
Ilharg
- Fiendish DuoFiendish Duo: This. Card. Is. Amazing. It's in only 71 decks so far. Not just 71 mono-red decks. Not just 71 Ilharg decks. 71 decks total. It's pricey and hard to find, but it's still amazing, so don't let its low numbers trick you into forgetting it exists!
- Bolt BendBolt Bend: No touchy.
- Gratuitous ViolenceGratuitous Violence: One-sided damage doubling? Perfect.
- Chain ReactionChain Reaction: This bizarrely only appears in 11% of Ilharg decks so far. Red needs board wipes too, and they can't all be Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act. This solves a lot of problems if Ilharg needs a clear field to hop back into play.
- Experimental FrenzyExperimental Frenzy: Already a good card in its own right, but Ilharg doesn't much care whether you can cast the creatures in your hand or not!
Purphoros
- Endless SandsEndless Sands: Instead of losing the creature for good... what if we just kept it safe somewhere else for a little while, and brought it back later?
- Runehorn HellkiteRunehorn Hellkite: Hits decently well on its first pass... then it refuels the hand from the grave!
- Endless AtlasEndless Atlas: This isn't the most extravagant version of card advantage by any stretch of the imagination, but the mana spent on this card helps find creatures that Purphoros won't spend much mana on at all.
- Mirage MirrorMirage Mirror: This can become a copy of a creature Purphoros plays, attack, then return to normal at the end of the turn, ready to do it all again. Or it can become the best thing in play to defend you from a nasty attack. Either way, gravy.
- Seize the DaySeize the Day: "I'll play this Etali, Primal StormEtali, Primal Storm for just three mana, and attack. Okay, then I'll attack again. Okay, then I'll attack again."
Raze the Land
Ilharg, the Raze-BoarIlharg, the Raze-Boar and Purphoros, Bronze-BloodedPurphoros, Bronze-Blooded rank among my favorite designs of the past year. They represent a brilliant shift in design that prioritizes exciting plays, and invite us players to search for ways to turn a perceived downside into a strength, allowing us to search for advantages in new and exciting ways, all without deviating from core color pie philosophy and while staying true to the fleeting, passionate, fiery flavor of mono-red.
Oh, and they also just let you hit like a truck. So... that's also pretty cool, I guess.
So which of these mono-red baddies would you choose to sneak monsters into the red zone? Oh, and which matchup would you like to see on the next Commander Showdown?
Take Our PollTil next time!
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