<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CLie+Setiawan%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Lie Setiawan</a></em></p>
<hr />
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>Am I the Bolas</em>?<strong> This week, what if my jank is too jank?</strong></p>
<p>This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some <em>Magic </em>and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"</p>
<p>I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a> Do us a favor a subscribe to us. We've got some fun stuff in the works and it would mean a lot to Michael, Morgan, and I if you did! Become a Bolcut and get into the Bolcast!</p>
<p>I'm Mike Carrozza and, if you play this against me, I'm just going to believe you.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mathemagics"></div></div>
<p><i>Whatever you say, draw as many cards as you say it is. I'm trusting your math!</i></p>
<p>(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)</p>
<hr />
<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
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<p><em>Hey,</em></p>
<p><em>My name is Buddy and I play in a friend group of about ten folks who meet up a few times a month to play mostly <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets">Bracket 2 to 3</a> decks. The terrifying decks in our pod are decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Ninja typal, a brutal <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuna, Hope of Spira" href="#" target="_blank">Yuna, Hope of Spira</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enchantment deck, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait" href="#" target="_blank">Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> </em>Landfall<em> good stuff. Nobody is running very many Game Changers, and our games reliably hit that turn 8-ish sweet spot for lower power games.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuna, Hope of Spira"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait"></div></div>
<p><em>Enter <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I'm a huge Vorthos and I have loved </em>The Brothers' War<em> for a long time, so I built a somewhat Vorthos Tocasia deck mostly out of bulk rares that I've found at my LGS. There are no Game Changers in the deck, and a handful of cards are there more for the lore than the synergy (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). The deck focuses around Tocasia's ability to give a ton of creatures the ability to tap to surveil, so you can flood the board with tap-enablers and rip through your library to game-winning cards.</em></p>
<p><em>Technically, Tocasia has the ability to loop extra turns because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nexus of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Nexus of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in the deck, so it's a Bracket 4, but most of my games end another way: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Most of the time, I'm looking to find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hedge Shredder" href="#" target="_blank">Hedge Shredder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to surveil a ton of lands into play, then if I have a few creatures, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar" href="#" target="_blank">Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and something that will draw me a card, I can <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> twice in one turn to win the game. I like this win condition because it's fragile and finicky and feels like a cool, interesting payoff to the deck's surveil/mill shenanigans. It also takes about ten seconds to pull off, since if the win is properly protected, I can walk through the game actions really efficiently.</em></p>
</div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Approach of the Second Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Craterhoof Behemoth"></div></div>
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<p><em>My friends think this win condition sucks. Recently, we had a friendly argument about the deck, and I posited: I could replace <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and get a win that way, too. The deck already goes wide, so it'd turn those creatures into 10/10s that trample through and win that way. Frankly, I recognize it'd be a much better wincon because it doesn't require 15 lands, six creatures, Tocasia, and a draw enabler, but that's exactly why I don't like it: that's the boring way to win with Tocasia that doesn't play into her unique strengths as a commander. My friends seem to think that winning with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is dishonorable skulduggery while winning with Craterhoof is honorable combat damage. <strong>Am I the Bolas for refusing to put a Craterhoof in Tocasia and insisting on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> wins?</strong></em></p>
<p><em>Buddy</em></p>
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<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor"></div></div></span></p>
</div>
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<hr />
<h2>VERDICT</h2>
<p>Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.</p>
<p>I love that you have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. I think it's such an interesting card, and I never see it out in the wild. I'm thrilled there are folks out there building this for Commander. I, too, am a huge fan of a win that requires many pieces to make happen. It's a slow, drawn-out inevitability if left untouched, and I think that's interesting.</p>
<p>First, I'd say, personally, I'd nix the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nexus of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Nexus of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to keep it out of Bracket 4 and because looping extra turns is a bummer. I have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rassilon, the War President" href="#" target="_blank">Rassilon, the War President</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck that runs <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alrund&#039;s Epiphany" href="#" target="_blank">Alrund&#039;s Epiphany</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and I'll say two extra turns is plenty to get the table to groan or even scoop. I prefer a pod with a fighting chance instead of simply running turn spells until the table throws their hands up. That's why Epiphany's been on the chopping block for that deck lately.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nexus of Fate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alrund&#039;s Epiphany"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rassilon, the War President"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a beautiful card. It's a control player's finisher, gift-wrapped in Vorthos goodness. I think the most fun part of this card is that it's an impending win. It forecasts that not only will we be seeing this again, but it's going to end the game with just this card on the stack, turning the game into survival mode for the next seven draws. When it's gamed to win on the spot, it can feel a little anticlimactic, certainly, but it definitely requires a ton more work than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>What you illustrated in your breakdown versus a board of creatures and a single beefcake from <em>Avacyn Restored </em>shows that the Hoof is a little less effort for a win. The combat step is more basic to the game and therefore where I believe the "honorable" comment comes from. A board of 10/10s can be blocked, damage can be prevented, and creatures can be removed. Sometimes a player has so much life that the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> buff makes it still impossible to take out all opponents at once.</p>
<p>But with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it hits the stack and your opponents have to have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Angel&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> handy. It's narrower and more secure of a win condition when you have it all set up, which is where this argument stems from, I'm assuming.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel&#039;s Grace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Craterhoof Behemoth"></div></div>
<p>All that said, I think Craterhoof is <em>just</em> as - if not more - boring! I think if there's a deck that can take advantage of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> it should get to do so, but I'd expect that to get old for everybody pretty quick. You included! I have never been a big fan of alternate wincons. Anything that goes "you win the game", count me out, for the most part. If <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> didn't have that dumb second line of text, do you know how much more I'd play that thing? Ugh, it makes me angry just thinking about it! What a cool card otherwise!</p>
<p>Anyway, it's your deck. You decide how you want to play it, build it, and so on. However, if your playgroup is getting tired of the Approach and it's putting a strain on game nights, then maybe it's time to retire the combo win with it and find another way. You're not the Bolas for playing the card and having a way to get that win quickly, but if people aren't stoked to play against the deck and there's other ways to pull out a win, I'd prioritize those outs to this one.</p>
<p>Thanks again for writing in!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Approach of the Second Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dig Up"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tocasia, Dig Site Mentor"></div></div>


Am I the Bolas? - To Approach or to Hoof?

Achievement Unlocked - Which Alt Win Cons Are the Most Satisfying to Win With? Part 2

Achievement Unlocked - Which Alt Win Cons Are the Most Satisfying to Win With? Part 1

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleansing Meditation" href="#" target="_blank">Cleansing Meditation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ron.spears.1?_fb_noscript=1">Ron Spears</a>)</h6>
<h1>Inhale</h1>
<p>We find ourselves in a tranquil place, austere and empty. But there is no loneliness in this void. Rather, there's an effortless connection across distance with the purity of all, for, with a bit of transcendental meditation, you can find yourself with an enchantment in the command zone, and without having to resort to any rule-bending, à la <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Genju of the Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Genju of the Realm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Welcome to <em>Dual Shot</em>, where we brew two decks at the same time... in one deck. This time we're digging up an early experiment. We don't have to go all the way back to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/dual-shot-the-beginning/">the Beginning</a>, but there will be some reminiscence required.</p>
<p>The original plan could be summarized like this: make a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck and fill in the blanks. In those earliest stages, the deck didn't really turn into anything, but some recent additions in the name of frivolity have straightened our spines and set us to breathing with the evenness of deep, ego-defeating thought.</p>
<p>Of course, this still gives us a relatively bad deck. But there are two paths that then revealed themselves. With Rune-Tail's own peculiar defensive theme atop an <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/angels">Angel tribal</a> subtheme - or instead, our perma-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide an awning for "alternate win-condition tribal." Though, before the journey of ascendance can unfold, one must first sit in the incense haze, let the sound of bells carry them to silence, and begin at the waypoint of the self.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Essence of Pure Flavor" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Knight of Dawn
*1 Gold Myr
*1 Thalia&#039;s Lancers
*1 Lieutenants of the Guard
*1 White Knight
*1 Winged Shepherd
*1 Paragon of New Dawn
*1 Felidar Sovereign
*1 Kor Firewalker
*1 Soul of Theros
*1 Binding Souleater
*1 Serra&#039;s Guardian
*1 Kor Cartographer
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade
*1 Spirit of the Hearth
*1 Oreskos Explorer
*1 Relic Seeker
*1 Segovian Angel
*1 Walking Atlas
*1 Farfinder
*1 King of the Pride
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Silver Knight
*1 Pilgrim&#039;s Eye
*1 Diamond Mare
*1 Regal Caracal
*1 Bygone Bishop
*1 Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle
*1 Daring Archeologist
*1 Bounty Agent
*1 Imperial Aerosaur
*1 Adorned Pouncer
*1 Vulpikeet
*1 Danitha Capashen, Paragon
*1 Hushwing Gryff
*1 Sunblade Angel
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Mana Tithe
*1 Divine Offering
*1 Rallying Roar
*1 Riot Control
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Serene Offering
*1 Charge Across the Araba
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Not Forgotten
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Gift of Estates
*1 Triplicate Spirits
*1 Proclamation of Rebirth
*1 Morningtide
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Inquisitor&#039;s Flail
*1 White Mana Battery
*1 Heraldic Banner
*1 Norn&#039;s Annex
*1 Chaos Wand
*1 Star Compass
*1 Lich&#039;s Mirror
*1 Angel&#039;s Feather
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Farsight Mask
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Angelic Destiny
*1 Stasis Cocoon
*1 Face of Divinity
*1 Noble Stand
*1 Thopter Arrest
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*27 Plains
*1 Zhalfirin Void
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 Daru Encampment
*1 Emergence Zone
*1 Encroaching Wastes
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Mantra</h2>
<p>This list is fine, but it needs more duality. A mono-white pilot that requires a certain life total to do its job immediately leads one to <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/lifegain">lifegain</a>. Since that felt too on-the-nose (and because lifegain tends to benefit from another color or two), a slight pivot to an adjacent theme of <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/angels">Angel tribal</a> was in order, and it works well to keep us above 30 for Rune-Tail.</p>
<p>As it stands, there's a lot of weird inclusions to excise. The weird <em>Dual Shot</em> beta list here was brought to 99 pretty much by adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vulpikeet" href="#" target="_blank">Vulpikeet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so a lot needs to change to reliably incorporate the angelic subtheme.</p>
<p>That means out with Rune-Tail's vulpine friend, and we'll also make our peace with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="King of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">King of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adorned Pouncer" href="#" target="_blank">Adorned Pouncer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The last thing this list needs is tertiary <a href="https://edhrec.com/tribes/cats">Cat tribal</a>, although house cats do seem to be in some sort of meditative state most of the time. What we'll lose in cuteness, we'll gain in more sensible slot-fillers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bishop of Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angelic Field Marshal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lyra Dawnbringer"></div></div>
<p>Let's shed some more unwanted thoughts in the pursuit of mindfulness, and attenuation with the divine. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Danitha Capashen, Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Danitha Capashen, Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regal Caracal" href="#" target="_blank">Regal Caracal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imperial Aerosaur" href="#" target="_blank">Imperial Aerosaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. How'd these even get in here? Well, there they are - let's breathe them out. And if we're hoping to provide a cleaner curve to our angelic host:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starnheim Aspirant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Righteous Valkyrie"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Resplendent Angel"></div></div>
<p>All right, so that most seraphic of tribes offers a good deal of obvious flexibility in replacing our chakra-clogging chaff. And hark! there are plenty amongst the host that lean into the bridge of high life totals : <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Vitality" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Vitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> most obviously, and some that are more adjacent to the tribe, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Serra Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, Strength of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, Strength of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But there are still some cards that don't really belong in the list as is, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Walking Atlas" href="#" target="_blank">Walking Atlas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; the initial brew did have a fairly low curve, but 32 lands is far too risky and makes the Atlas much more useless besides. Some of the early inclusions should be cut, simply to make room for about four more lands. But if we divert our meditations from the Angel strategy, and indeed most combat in general, we can also exclude <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireshrieker" href="#" target="_blank">Fireshrieker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inquisitor&#039;s Flail" href="#" target="_blank">Inquisitor&#039;s Flail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>What then? Inquisitor's Flail especially benefits from Rune-Tail, but rather than relying on Fog to win in combat, our meditative ideal can keep us afloat and gum up the board while we assemble instant wins: sudden realizations achieved after a long, transformative vision quest. That the divine was within us all along, and all our sacred icons, as beautiful as they are, are manifestations of ourselves.</p>
<p>So in addition to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felidar Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Felidar Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, let's decide what we can do with all the space given to us in the absence of our celestial guides.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel&#039;s Grace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Celestial Convergence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Test of Endurance"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Mindfulness</h2>
<p>Oh, I guess that's it. Sure, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barren Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Barren Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Near-Death Experience" href="#" target="_blank">Near-Death Experience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but this isn't the list to enable that level of esoterica. So we can comfortably run about four self-contained alternate win-cons, as well as some flavorful support pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Angel&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gideon of the Trials" href="#" target="_blank">Gideon of the Trials</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We can achieve a modicum of transcendence with this cluttered list, transforming our muddied energy into something more focused. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide a thin layer of protective fog, otherwise obfuscating an Angel supertheme atop an alternate win condition subtheme.</p>
<p>Perhaps one space for white's design to meaningfully expand into could be alternate win conditions, given its purview of the rule-writers. In lieu of that, it does have great means with which to find those forgotten laws. From <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Rector" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Rector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Idyllic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Idyllic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, "alternate win-con tribal" is certainly functional, if a little awkward. As for the correlation to Angels, there are two shining examples to act a bridge between themes, and through tempered practice, forge that mind-body connection so necessary to meditation.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Platinum Angel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Destiny"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Exhale</h2>
<p>That's it for this meditation session. When have you managed to take one of <em>Magic</em>'s iconic tribes and reframe it alongside a new approach? Angels and Dragons and Demons and the like are all well-suited to focused isolation, but when have they worked in some strange tandem for you? Let us know in the comments below!</p>
<p>It's nice to take a look at these old decks that helped shape the experiment, but going forward will be a trend of explorations more suited to duality. Commanders like the Kirin, for example, all neatly direct a deckbuilder towards divergent themes. And furthermore, in anticipation of the 20th <em>Dual Shot</em>, a deviation from the usual lists and deck techs should avail us of studying some rudiments of synergy - and allow us to take a closer peak at the idea of "bridge" cards - where commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alela, Artful Provocateur" href="#" target="_blank">Alela, Artful Provocateur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> so obviously invite us to try two (or more) things at once, which cards actually enable such parallel strategies?</p>
<p>Well then, until next time. Namaste.</p>


Dual Shot - Divine Meditation

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dual Shot" href="#" target="_blank">Dual Shot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.sarabwintersart.com/">Sara Winters</a>)</h6>
<h1>Introduction</h1>
<p>We find ourselves in a foundational place. The experiment’s inauguration. The ground isn’t exactly unbroken, but it is covered in a low fog, obscuring patches of what might’ve once been footprints.</p>
<p>This is <em>Dual Shot</em>, where we hide decks inside of other decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dual Shot"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>What We’re Up To</h2>
<p>Now, before the obvious dub of "deck-ception" is applied, I would remind you that “inception” referred not to the nesting of dreams within dreams, but to the implantation of an idea. With any luck, I can do both. However, the layers don’t go limbo-deep. Just two steps:</p>
<p>Pick a deck, or rather, the outline of a deck. The theme, the archetype, the plan of attack. What kind of deck do you want?</p>
<p>Now pick another sort of deck. Got it? All set.</p>
<p>The plan is this: take a deck theme or archetype as it is typically built, and then see how much of it we can remove while keeping the identity of the deck intact. Then we fill that new space with a different deck’s strategy, presenting now as a subtheme.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silent Submersible"></div></div>
<p>No, not a Submersible, a subtheme. For instance, if you're building an Aura deck like it’s... well, an Aura deck... then it’s shaped like itself, isn’t it? It works more or less as intended, with all the expected variance of a game of EDH. Your opponents see you piloting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Estrid, the Masked" href="#" target="_blank">Estrid, the Masked</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and they can immediately begin to guess at which cards you’ll be playing and how you’ll be playing them.</p>
<p>If you go to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes">Themes</a> page, you’ll find that Estrid makes for one of the most popular commanders within the Aura archetype, standing at the helm for 12.6% of submitted Aura decks. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find that she makes for one of the <em>least</em> popular generals for a planeswalker theme, commanding a paltry 0.65% of those deck submissions.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Estrid, the Masked"></div></div>
<p>Estrid is an unpopular Superfriends general simply because there are much better options for that particular theme. Still, she is a planeswalker, and Bant certainly enables <em>some</em> of the typical superfriends EDH strategies.</p>
<p>But I’m not suggesting that you build Estrid as a Superfriends commander instead of an Aura commander.</p>
<p>I’m saying, “Do both!”</p>
<p><em>At the same time.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancestral Mask"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tamiyo, Field Researcher"></div></div>
<p>The obvious problem is this: a good Aura deck will have most (if not all) of the 99 in direct support of that strategy. The same is true for pretty much any “good” deck. By taking what amounts to half of an Aura deck and mixing it with half of a planeswalker deck, you’re weakening both strategies. You’re reducing your likelihood to draw components for either gameplan, and you’re reducing the number of functional pieces for either approach.</p>
<p>That all sounds bad, but what if...</p>
<hr />
<h2>Flex Tape®</h2>
<p>...what if we minimize that huge drawback? We’ll get to the “how” in a moment. If we can reduce the disadvantages of effectively splitting our deck, we have created a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon scenario (as film metaphors go, this one is a bit ungainly, so bear with me) in that we are hiding our deck’s true purpose.</p>
<p>All right, so it’s not the deck’s <em>true</em> purpose; rather, a secondary purpose. Something greater than an alternate win condition, but without becoming so unwieldy as to be a hindrance to the deck’s main goal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Chain Veil"></div></div>
<p>This allows you to keep your opponents on their toes and guessing. Perhaps they’ll be thinking, “Oh, an Estrid deck. Auras and enchantments, sure, nothing new. Oh, wait, is that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Chain Veil" href="#" target="_blank">The Chain Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? I guess they’re doing some hipster Superfriends brew. Oh, no, they’re still playing enchantments-matter cards. Maybe they don’t know what they’re doing....”</p>
<p>And maybe we don’t. But <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ObfuscatingStupidity">obfuscating stupidity</a> is certainly a viable tactic!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Licking Our Wounds</h2>
<p>By using simple metrics on EDHREC, we can find inclusion rates for cards in various archetypes. With high enough percentages, it’s safe to call certain cards “staples” within particular themes. Sometimes there’s overlap. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flux Channeler" href="#" target="_blank">Flux Channeler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> each show up with a 40%-60% inclusion rate in recommendations for planeswalker decks, +1/+1 counters decks, and <em>Infect</em> decks. It’s reasonable to infer that these are flexible cards that work well with a variety of strategies.</p>
<p>There exist similar overlaps for cards across the recs on this site, and while they’re not always quite so robust, they do provide a starting point. Combine that with a flexible commander, and you’ve found yourself a launch pad for a <em>Dual Shot</em> at brewing!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Crowd Goes Wild"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deafening Silence"></div></div>
<p>(Depending on your predilections, your reaction is likely somewhere along the lines of one of the two cards depicted above)</p>
<p>Anyway, in addition to potentially flummoxing your opponents, incorporating a secondary theme (or subtheme) into the brewing process can unveil some unexpected cross-theme synergies. Earlier this year, <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/mechanically-minded-gates/">Kyle Massa wrote an article</a> on EDHREC about building around a Gates theme. Incredibly, a functional deck is built out of something that <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/gates">doesn’t even have a Theme page</a> on the site. There aren’t many Gates, and there aren’t many Gates-matter cards. In this sense, something like Gates looks to be a perfect subtheme to include, as it’s already extremely difficult to present as a primary theme in itself, and it has a number of good payoffs and alternate win conditions.</p>
<p>Taking one established theme and merging it with another requires a bit more restraint, and perhaps a lowering of expectations. In any case, in the spirit of obfuscation, here’s Estrid:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Estrid, the Enchantress (Who Moonlights as a Planeswalker)" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Estrid, the Masked
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Tuvasa the Sunlit
*1 Kestia, the Cultivator
*1 Hanna, Ship’s Navigator
*1 Captain Sisay
*1 Satyr Enchanter
*1 Bioessence Hydra
*1 Elderwood Scion
*1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
*1 Heavenly Blademaster
*1 Arena Rector
*1 Ajani&#039;s Chosen
*1 Celestial Ancient
*1 Djeru, With Eyes Open
*1 Mesa Enchantress
*1 Starfield Mystic
*1 Thalia&#039;s Lancers
*1 Spark Double
*1 Flux Channeler
*1 Nylea&#039;s Colossus
*1 Verduran Enchantress
*1 Herald of the Pantheon
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Sterling Grove
*1 Oath of Teferi
*1 Soul Snare
*1 Oath of Ajani
*1 Oath of Gideon
*1 Sage&#039;s Reverie
*1 Sphere of Safety
*1 Unquestioned Authority
*1 Humility
*1 Starfield of Nyx
*1 Oath of Jace
*1 Mirrormade
*1 Ever-Watching Threshold
*1 Eel Umbra
*1 Oath of Nissa
*1 Fertile Ground
*1 New Horizons
*1 Unbridled Growth
*1 Ancestral Mask
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Bant Charm
*1 Dovin&#039;s Veto
*1 Ignite the Beacon
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Fuel for the Cause
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Call the Gatewatch
*1 Winds of Rath
*1 Urza&#039;s Ruinous Blast
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 The Chain Veil
*1 Contagion Clasp
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Mana Geode
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Tamiyo, Field Researcher
*1 Ajani Unyielding
*1 Ajani, the Greathearted
*1 Kiora, the Crashing Wave
*1 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales
*1 The Wanderer
*1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
*1 Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor
*1 Garruk Wildspeaker
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Interplanar Beacon
*1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
*1 Forge of Heroes
*1 Serra&#039;s Sanctum
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Yavimaya Coast
*1 Irrigated Farmland
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Cascading Cataracts
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Temple of Mystery
*1 Blossoming Sands
*1 Thornwood Falls
*5 Plains
*4 Island
*9 Forest
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Trying to go 50/50 with this approach to merging decks <em>does not work</em>. The consistency for either tactic plummets – you’re missing components for each half-deck, and you’re less likely to find what remains. By aiming for something that approximates more of an 80/20 split, and by trying to reconcile the dual nature of the end product by including “cross-theme staples,” you can get a functional deck that’ll make your playgroup ask you if everything is okay.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oath of Teferi"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eidolon of Blossoms"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigil of the Empty Throne"></div></div>
<p>For example, in the above decklist, the Oaths function as staples for the Superfriends package while also at the very least supporting your commander (if you don’t draw any walkers) and checking enchantment triggers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Chain Veil" href="#" target="_blank">The Chain Veil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is such a common inclusion for this archetype that it feels silly to ignore it, even if it will wind up as a truly dead card for many of your games. There will be plenty of matchups where you draw into Oaths with no walkers on board or in hand. However, they can still provide utility by drawing cards through <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eidolon of Blossoms" href="#" target="_blank">Eidolon of Blossoms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tuvasa the Sunlit" href="#" target="_blank">Tuvasa the Sunlit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and other Enchantresses, or by widening the board state through <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil of the Empty Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil of the Empty Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani’s Chosen" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani’s Chosen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>There is also the less obvious drawback of an 80/20 split to be considered: the inconsistency of the “20” side. It is meant to be an alternate approach to gameplay, and if you draw into it, great; if not, there can be some feel-bads. As an example, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deploy the Gatewatch" href="#" target="_blank">Deploy the Gatewatch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> simply do not work. A card like that works better when the risk is much lower, helping to ensure the reward (e.g., in a dedicated Superfriends deck). In the spirit of planeswalking with pals, you should use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call the Gatewatch" href="#" target="_blank">Call the Gatewatch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> instead.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Once your playgroup realizes what you’re doing, you may remain wily! The thing is, doing something like this doesn’t attract a lot of attention. At least, not the dangerous kind of attention. While you can win games through attrition, Group Hug strategies, and letting everyone else fight while you timidly set up esoteric win conditions, these things are relatively difficult and require patience and politicking.</p>
<p>This Estrid Deck (Prepared Two Ways) was extremely fun to pilot, providing a radically different kind of variance. Some games, you're simply playing another deck than you were the game before. Some games you’re spread too thin, and the element of surprise really only works once. This brew is very susceptible to removal (though <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sterling Grove" href="#" target="_blank">Sterling Grove</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps), but it fares very favorably in combat – cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ever-Watching Threshold" href="#" target="_blank">Ever-Watching Threshold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphere of Safety" href="#" target="_blank">Sphere of Safety</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should provide just enough cover to keep you entrenched while keeping apace through Enchantress card draw.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ever-Watching Threshold"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sphere of Safety"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Garruk Wildspeaker"></div></div>
<p>Eventually, assuming there aren’t any Turn-4 win conditions at the table, you can overwhelm the opposition by going wide enough and/or tall enough in typical Enchantress fashion. The planeswalker package here generally only provides utility and keeps you alive long enough to win through damage, but it might provide some spectacular moments (like getting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk Wildspeaker" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk Wildspeaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ultimate to go off with a couple of Kiora’s Krakens and about a dozen 2/2 Cat tokens on board).</p>
<p>It’s worth mentioning that this was all tested in casual environments with friends, and in less-than-competitive queues on MTGO. Ultimately, these brewing experiments have proven to provide a great deal of entertaining variance (as opposed to the regular kind of variance), and to be, eh, <em>somewhat</em> reliable.</p>
<p>I’d had this idea for subthematic brewing a long time ago, and it arose from necessity – that is, not having enough cards to build the decks I wanted. Over time, it turned into something a bit less fumbling than that, but I’m happy just to have given it a shot... a <em>dual </em>shot<em>....</em></p>
<p>Oh, <em>Theros</em> Gods, give me strength.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baffling End"></div></div>
<p>That's the baffling end of this installment of <em>Dual Shot! </em>Let me know about any decks where you've managed to simultaneously play two different themes in the comments below!</p>


Dual Shot - Masks

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| Art by <a href="http://www.matthew-stewart.com/">Matt Stewart</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment,</em> a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>This week, we'll be exploring the exciting '<a href="https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/187820655383/just-wanted-to-let-you-know-that-i-like-white">new white mechanic</a>' that we got from <em>Throne of Eldraine:</em> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>Kidding aside, let's see what we can come up with for this new alternative win condition.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Happily Ever After"></div></div>
<p><strong>When Happily Ever After enters the battlefield, each player gains 5 life and draws a card.</strong></p>
<p><strong>At the beginning of your upkeep, </strong><strong>if there are five colors among permanents you control</strong><strong>, </strong><strong>there are at least six or more card types among permanents you control and/or cards in your graveyard</strong><strong>, </strong><strong>and your starting life total is greater than or equal to your starting life total</strong>, <strong>you win the game.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>To achieve this win condition, we are required to play five colors, or to find some means of stealing multicolored permanents or changing the colors of our permanents.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p>A three-mana enchantment can be a target for cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zur, the Enchanter" href="#" target="_blank">Zur, the Enchanter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sun Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Sun Titan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>There are a total of three conditions that we need to fulfill in order to win the game, four if we count "we need to make it to our upkeep" as a condition. Some are very easy to achieve, while others require a bit of setup. For instance, we may have to jump through some hoops to achieve both lifegain <strong>and</strong> enough permanents in play or in the graveyard, since many lifegain strategies don't rely upon a diversity of card types or colors.</p>
<p>Observation 4:</p>
<p>Playing alternate win condition cards always draws a big target on yourself.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Happily-Ever-After-Cmdr.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-40706" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Happily-Ever-After-Cmdr.png" alt="" width="500" height="248" /></a></p>
<p>It's no surprise that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has extremely low levels of adoption; its ETB is not earth-shattering, and the win condition has a lot of...conditions. It's most well-represented in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith, the Returned King" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith, the Returned King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks, with 88 at the time of writing this article, and it otherwise hasn't caught on in other decks with more powerful methods of victory. With three requirements, it is indeed a hard-to-build-around card.</p>
<p>Notably, all the commanders that do play it even a tiny bit are five colors. Since we're all about epic experiments, though... is there any way we might be able to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>without </em>all five colors...?</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>The choice of commander is difficult. We need multiple colors, and we need lifegain... but more than anything, we need a hero.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daxos of Meletis"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daxos of Meletis" href="#" target="_blank">Daxos of Meletis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the rescue!</p>
<p>"But Bernardo," I hear you retort, "he's only blue and white!"</p>
<p>This is true: on his own, he won't be able to fulfill the five-color trigger condition for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, this commander is sneaky, and can take cards from our opponents by dealing damage to them. He even has a way to gain life, helping us out with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s other tricky condition!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Memory Lapse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unexpectedly Absent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Not Forgotten"></div></div>
<p>A 'tuck' package will help us find exactly what we need. Not only will it put our opponents behind on tempo, but it will also put the exact cards we need on top of our opponents' libraries, allowing us to sneak through and pilfer them from the top of their decks, providing us with the colors we don't already have. Control the enemies' boards while also leading to a win condition? Yes, please.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpectedly Absent" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpectedly Absent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Set Adrift" href="#" target="_blank">Set Adrift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two pretty good catch-all tuck effects that, while sorcery-speed, are cheap enough to not mess with our potential plans. To complement those effects, we're also playing a couple of tucking counterspells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Lapse" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Lapse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lapse of Certainty" href="#" target="_blank">Lapse of Certainty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are extremely versatile, and can even put a spell on top of its owner's deck if we decide we'd like to steal a spell instead of a permanent.</p>
<p>Another package that helps our commander steal our way to victory is by having <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lantern of Insight" href="#" target="_blank">Lantern of Insight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects to reduce the chance of getting blown out by variance. Sometimes it's not as useful to predict your own future as much as it is to predict your enemies' futures!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lantern of Insight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blatant Thievery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Agent of Treachery"></div></div>
<p>Thievery effects complete the support suite for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We don't just take from the top of their decks - we take them from the battlefield too. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blatant Thievery" href="#" target="_blank">Blatant Thievery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an expensive card, but it can get us a permanent of each color all on its own. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Agent of Treachery" href="#" target="_blank">Agent of Treachery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also on the expensive side, but when we consider that it can easily draw us lots of cards with its end step trigger, it's easy to see how valuable it can be.</p>
<p>Finally, the biggest of the big deals: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expropriate" href="#" target="_blank">Expropriate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be one of the biggest splashiest cards ever printed, and there are almost no cases where casting this card won't swing the game drastically into our favor. If we ever cast it with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the field, it's pretty much GG.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Happy Daxos" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Daxos of Meletis
[/Commander]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Lantern of Insight
*Sol Ring
*Azorius Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Lightning Greaves
*Mind Stone
*Prowler&#039;s Helm
*Swiftfoot Boots
*Talisman of Progress
*Thought Vessel
*Trailblazer&#039;s Boots
*Coalition Relic
*Darksteel Plate
*Sword of Feast and Famine
*Thran Dynamo
*Gilded Lotus
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*Giver of Runes
*Mother of Runes
*Drift of Phantasms
*Thada Adel, Acquisitor
*Wizened Snitches
*Agent of Treachery
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*Aqueous Form
*Land Tax
*Happily Ever After
*Steel of the Godhead
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Enlightened Tutor
*Mystical Tutor
*Opt
*Path to Exile
*Swords to Plowshares
*Arcane Denial
*Azorius Charm
*Counterspell
*Cyclonic Rift
*Disdainful Stroke
*Dovin&#039;s Veto
*Expel from Orazca
*Memory Lapse
*Reality Shift
*Think Twice
*Unexpectedly Absent
*Blue Sun&#039;s Zenith
*Frantic Search
*Lapse of Certainty
*Thirst for Knowledge
*Run Aground
*Banishment Decree
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Ponder
*Preordain
*Serum Visions
*Not Forgotten
*Compulsive Research
*Idyllic Tutor
*Day of Judgment
*Deep Analysis
*Wrath of God
*Austere Command
*Set Adrift
*Blatant Thievery
*Expropriate
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Command Tower
*Hallowed Fountain
*City of Brass
*Mana Confluence
*Adarkar Wastes
*Glacial Fortress
*Prairie Stream
*Port Town
*Temple of Enlightenment
*Celestial Colonnade
*Flooded Strand
*Polluted Delta
*Castle Ardenvale
*Castle Vantress
*Moonring Island
*Ghost Quarter
*Tectonic Edge
*12 Island
*8 Plains
[/Land]"></span></div></p>
<hr />
<p>Daxos is pretty mana-hungry, and it takes time to get going, so the natural first step is to build towards a UW control shell. We should try to avoid committing too early to our main plan, because it's important that we can actually cast the cards Daxos steals from enemy decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Steel of the Godhead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Plate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trailblazer&#039;s Boots"></div></div>
<p>To consistently stay on board and connect with our commander, we are using a Voltron suite. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Feast and Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Feast and Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great in a shell that wants to cast spells after the combat step; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trailblazer&#039;s Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Trailblazer&#039;s Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prowler&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Prowler&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aqueous Form" href="#" target="_blank">Aqueous Form</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are ways to completely avoid getting chump blocked by a random mana dork; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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="Swiftfoot Boots" href="#" target="_blank">Swiftfoot Boots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> keep us safe against removal, making sure that we get a few attacks in.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, we need a very hefty chunk of lands and mana rocks. Our curve is on the heavy side, with even our single-target removal spells sometimes costing up to five mana, so it's much better to be overly mana flooded than even a tiny bit mana screwed.</p>
<p>In the early game, our job is to develop our mana and find some type of Equipment that will either protect or provide evasion to our commander. Saving our removal spells is wise; this will allow us to target permanents of specific colors we'll need later. Just make sure not to let the life total dip too low.</p>
<p>The mid-game is where we set our plan in motion, casting our commander while holding on to some form of protection, such as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to ensure his survival. Once we start hitting our opponents with Daxos, things get harder to predict; who knows what we'll find!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Expropriate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Idyllic Tutor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blue Sun&#039;s Zenith"></div></div>
<p>By the late game, we should have more than enough mana to steal the big threats from our enemies, perfect for our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is where all those big-mana spells shine, and if our enemies haven't figured out what we're up to, it will mean their demise. The lifegain from Daxos may have looked inconsequential to our enemies at first, but it has a nonzero impact on the game, not only helping us stabilize, but also preparing the grounds for one big happy ending (for us, at least).</p>
<p>Oh, and what do we do if we encounter a pod that <em>doesn't </em>have all five colors represented at the table? What if no opponent is playing red, never allowing us to steal a red permanent to appease <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s win condition?</p>
<p>Easy: we steal things anyway and use them to beat our opponents the old-fashioned way!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<p>I know this isn't the most competitive list out there, and some playgroups might even frown upon the alternative win condition. If you'd like to take the deck in a different direction, here are some other options:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zur, the Enchanter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sliver Hivelord"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zur, the Enchanter" href="#" target="_blank">Zur, the Enchanter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a tutor in the command zone, perfect for finding the win condition. This type of build would probably focus on more traditional <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Control Magic" href="#" target="_blank">Control Magic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects, and use cards like the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrormade" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrormade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to copy them at a moment's notice. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sliver Hivelord" href="#" target="_blank">Sliver Hivelord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is resilient against removal, has access to every tutor available, and is itself all five colors. This makes a flexible shell; we don't really need much to set up a win for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Happily Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Happily Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and we have every card at our disposal.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment!</em> What do you think about this list? Was this a happy end after all? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


alternate win conditions

Am I the Bolas? - To Approach or to Hoof?

Achievement Unlocked - Which Alt Win Cons Are the Most Satisfying to Win With? Part 2

Achievement Unlocked - Which Alt Win Cons Are the Most Satisfying to Win With? Part 1

Dual Shot - Divine Meditation

Dual Shot - Masks

Epic Experiment - Happily Ever After

Maze's End to Non-Basically Speaking