Rhys, the EvermoreRhys, the Evermore | Art by Kai Carpenter

They say that "patience is a virtue." Personally, I'm a bigger fan of persistence. As is the first commander I'm writing about in 2026. We're returning to Lorwyn, and thanks to that return, we've been greeted with fan-favorite creature types and characters.

This new year brings me back to my Commander-format roots with a brand-new take on a classic thanks to Lorwyn Eclipsed: Rhys, the EvermoreRhys, the Evermore.

New Rhys, Who Dis?

ExiledExiled, redeemedredeemed, and now evermore, one of my favorite strategies is now led by one of my favorite former commanders.

Rhys, the EvermoreRhys, the Evermore is a very different card than either of their previous forms. The original Rhys cared about playing Elves, and the second cared about making tokens. But this one cares about death.

At face value, Rhys, the Evermore is a 2/2 for that can be cast at instant speed thanks to flash. When they enter, another target creature we control gains persist till the end of the turn. So if the creature would die this turn, it'll come back with a -1/-1 counter on it (provided it didn't have any already).

Rhys also has the ability to remove any number of counters from a creature we control at sorcery speed. So Rhys has a built-in engine for themselves, provided creatures can still get detrimental counters placed upon them.

This is the biggest trick when constructing the deck. How do we balance mono-white persist and mono-white counter strategies? We blink them, of course.

Blink and You'll Miss It

So why's Rhys, the EvermoreRhys, the Evermore, my preferred commander for a Mono-White Blink strategy? The ability for Rhys to remove counters from a creature isn't the greatest. Being able to get counters off only one creature at a time, at sorcery speed, means the process is slow going. Blinking creatures in and out of the battlefield resets the counters for us. Not to mention, there are plenty of instant-speed ways to do it.

EphemerateEphemerate is one of the best single-target blink spells ever printed into the game. A true two-for-one thanks to the rebound ability, allowing us to get back-to-back blinks across turns. Eerie InterludeEerie Interlude functions as a protection spell and a massive value engine when we have a large board of creatures with enter the battlefield abilities.

One of my personal favorite blink spells is Lae'zel's AcrobaticsLae'zel's Acrobatics. At , it's at the top end of blink spells run in the deck, but it's well worth the mana. Coming from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate means the card includes dice rolling. The split on this card gives us a bonus blink as long as we roll a 10-20 on a classic dodecahedron. Worst-case scenario, we hit the 1-9, and it works just like a GhostwayGhostway.

Blinking creatures in and out while removing the detrimental counters might sound fine, but what is the reason for Rhys when breaking it all down? Persistence.

Persistence

The persist ability doesn't draw from a large card pool. The pool is even smaller when looking at cards for a nono-white deck. Even worse, most of the cards available to us are bad. One card stands above the rest and should see a lot more play in the format. That card is Cauldron of SoulsCauldron of Souls.

A colorless card that can save an entire board from getting hit by the likes of Wrath of GodWrath of God or DamnationDamnation, single-target removal spells like Doom BladeDoom Blade, or help to combo with one of our win condition cards, Blasting StationBlasting Station. This better than cards that protect your board, such as Teferi's ProtectionTeferi's Protection or Flare of FortitudeFlare of Fortitude, because creatures dying is something we want to have happen.

Every creature that dies and comes back means another hit of their ETBs (enter the battlefield abilities). But Rhys can't take all the counters off every creature on the board. How do I decide? I hear you screaming this at me across the table. For that decision, let me remind you about two cards that once struck fear into the hearts of 60-card players.

No Negatives

The goal of this deck is to combo-kill the table. With that knowledge in hand, two cards help to achieve this task.

If you played 60-card competitive Magic around the release of Amonkhet, these two cards may be giving you heart palpitations right now. For that, I do apologize. While they aren't combo-ing with Devoted DruidDevoted Druid, Kitchen FinksKitchen Finks, or Murderous RedcapMurderous Redcap, they are still pivotal to the main way this deck will win. 

Vizier of RemediesVizier of Remedies takes every -1/-1 counter that would be put on a creature and tells us to add one fewer. Every time a creature comes back due to the effect of persist, it will now have no counters placed on it.

SolemnitySolemnity takes this idea and multiplies it out to the point that no type of counter can be placed on any creature we have, good or bad. We aren't even allowed to get counters placed on us.

Bonus points for the infect decks having an extra hard time killing us during a game. SolemnitySolemnity and Cauldron of SoulsCauldron of Souls are significant enough that this deck is even bumped up to a Bracket 3 (Upgraded) so that we can play Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor as a Game Changer.

So No Spice Then?

Anyone who has read my articles knows that I always find some card(s) I've never seen before when building a deck. Or some forgotten piece of tech that finds a perfect home in the 99. Just because this deck is boring old mono-white and has a strategy as well established as Blink doesn't mean I forgot.

First up and surprisingly fitting is MeadowboonMeadowboon. From Morningtide, part of the original Lorwyn block, this 3/3 comes with a board pump when it leaves play. Every game might not come with a SolemnitySolemnity or Vizier of RemediesVizier of Remedies, so a few backup ways to clear out pesky -1/-1 counters are wanted.

If you didn't know, every +1/+1 counter cancels out an equal amount of -1/-1 counters. So if we blink MeadowboonMeadowboon or it leaves play from an opponent or due to its evoke ability, causing it to come in and sacrifice, our creatures go back to their base state.

TriskelionTriskelion might not be the spiciest card ever, but the popularity of this creature isn't what it used to be. Spice aside, this card is a relatively efficient way to go infinite and take out a table. Clearly repeatable and fast after you do it a few times, Triskelion can take out a table one point of damage at a time.

Lastly, Dross ScorpionDross Scorpion, when brought back thanks to persist, can allow our board to go infinite by untapping Cauldron of SoulsCauldron of Souls over and over. The best part is the Scorpion can be used to combo with TriskelionTriskelion even if SolemnitySolemnity gets taken out.

Wrap Up

It's safe to say that I'm a big fan of the upcoming set, Lorwyn Eclipsed. I'm a big fan of Rhys, the EvermoreRhys, the Evermore, as well. So much so that once the card was spoiled, I built this as one of my personal decks. Fun, engaging, and powerful, with the smallest amount of deceptiveness mixed in. These're the traits I see in Rhys that make me want to get my hands on a copy ASAP.

I hope that the start to 2026 will be full of great Magic: The Gathering memories thanks to Lorwyn Eclipsed. Go out to a prerelease, build a new deck, or play with your friends at the kitchen table. Make sure you also check out all the other great articles around the set from everyone here on EDHREC.

As it was last year and will be again this year, my name is Nick. Find me online over at Bluesky at nicnax96, and tell me what your favorite blink spell is and what creature you'll be using with it.

Rhys, the Evermore Commander Deck List