Silverquill, the DisputantSilverquill, the Disputant | Art by Antonio José Manzanedo

The original name of the Commander format, EDH, stands for Elder Dragon Highlander. The name is a reference to the five original Elder Dragons from Legends, who were, in the beginning, the only options for commanders. Since the original, we've been introduced to 22 more legendary Elder Dragon options, ten of which come from both Strixhaven sets.

So in this week's deck tech, I wanted to showcase the power of one of the new Elder Dragons, Silverquill, the DisputantSilverquill, the Disputant.

Quick note: I'll be referring to instants and sorceries as spells from this point forward. Yes, spells are anything you cast, but no one wants to read instants and sorceries a hundred times.

What Does Silverquill, the Disputant Do?

Silverquill lets you copy spells by sacrificing a creature with power one or greater. At first glance, it might seem tricky to build this properly. After all, you'd have to balance the number of creatures and spells in the deck. But Orzhov () has hundreds of spells that make tokens. So instead of worrying about creatures, I decided to load the deck up with cheap spells to make tokens, which can be sacrificed for value.

The original idea was a beatdown deck that leveraged enchantments to buff the tokens and swing face. But after some initial testing, it felt too slow and too fragile. Instead, I leaned into the copy effect and built a creatureless Storm deck. The idea is simple: make tokens, copy rituals and tutors, then close out the game.

Key Cards for Silverquill, the DisputantSilverquill, the Disputant

Token Generation

Deciding what token generation to include was the hardest part, given the sheer number of options. In the end, I narrowed it down to three types of generation.

First are the efficient spells, like Lingering SoulsLingering Souls. It's only three mana for two bodies, plus it has flashback. If a card only made tokens and it cost four or more mana, I cut it.

Second are the utility token spells. For example, InkshieldInkshield does a great job of stopping a lethal swing, and providers sacrifice fodder. Don't try to copy it, as you'll still only get one set of tokens.

And finally, enchantments that make tokens. Fire Nation OccupationFire Nation Occupation has been an MVP in every deck I've seen, so it felt like a no-brainer to include.

Rituals

To properly storm off, we need a ton of mana, which is where the rituals come in.

Copying Dark RitualDark Ritual nets you five mana. If you have threshold online, Cabal RitualCabal Ritual will net a total of eight mana for the low price of two mana. And finally, Bubbling MuckBubbling Muck is a black High TideHigh Tide. If you resolve two copies of Bubbling Muck, all Swamps become Dark Rituals.

This is symmetrical, so your opponents will also benefit from it.

Tutors

While I generally avoid tutors, I decided to lean into it since this is a Storm deck.

I didn't include the expensive ones, such as Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor and Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor. Diabolic IntentDiabolic Intent is a great budget-ish Demonic Tutor replacement. You need to sacrifice two creatures, one to copy and one to cast, but that won't be an issue. Diabolic TutorDiabolic Tutor is four mana, but if copied, it's like two Demonic Tutors. And Dark PetitionDark Petition can actually net one mana if spell mastery is online.

How Does Silverquill, the Disputant Win?

The primary goal is to chain together several rituals and tutors to cast a giant ExsanguinateExsanguinate. If you want, you could also add Torment of HailfireTorment of Hailfire as an additional big X spell.

But before that happens, you'll want to get chip damage in where possible. Professor OnyxProfessor Onyx drains four every time you cast, then copy a spell. Sentinel TowerSentinel Tower pings any target for increasing amounts of damage. It doesn't check when you copy a spell, but the damage still adds up.

You can also try assembling the three-card combo of Codex ShredderCodex Shredder, Faith's RewardFaith's Reward, and Zuran OrbZuran Orb.

Silverquill, the Disputant Commander Deck List

Conclusion

If you're looking for a unique take on Storm, I can't recommend Silverquill enough. I played against a version of this deck the last two weekends, and it crushed the table. But it didn't have the long storm turns you'd expect. It even won a few games by ramping into big token spells like United FrontUnited Front then beating face.

Also, if you want to see even more Magic content from me, you can find plenty of that on my YouTube channel BathroomBrewsMTG. Alrighty nerds, I'll see you in the next one!