<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armaggon, Future Shark" href="#" target="_blank">Armaggon, Future Shark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/guterrez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mathias Kollros</a></em></p>
<p>Hello everyone! My name's Jonathan and today I'll be looking at how <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armaggon, Future Shark" href="#" target="_blank">Armaggon, Future Shark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tmt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</em></a>, fares at the helm of its own Commander deck.</p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armaggon, Future Shark" href="#" target="_blank">Armaggon, Future Shark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Armaggon, Future Shark"></div></div>
<p>As far as the complexity of generals goes, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armaggon, Future Shark" href="#" target="_blank">Armaggon, Future Shark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is definitely on the simpler side. It has a glaring weak point: its hefty mana cost. Eight mana in modern Commander is definitely a lot to ask.</p>
<p>But it more than makes up for it.</p>
<p>First, it has good stats. As a 9/6, it can definitely pack a punch and take out players in three swings.</p>
<p>Then, it has flash, which means we don't have to take our whole turn off to cast it and hope it comes back to us. Instead, we can sneak it into play at the end of the last turn before ours and get attacking.</p>
<p>Last, and most importantly, it can count on a very intriguing effect upon entering the battlefield. Destroying three creatures can be devastating for many strategies. And this becomes especially good when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armaggon, Future Shark" href="#" target="_blank">Armaggon, Future Shark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> itself is a potential game-ending menace.</p>
<p>With this in mind, I tried to get the best out of its triggered ability by building a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/blink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blink</a> deck around our friendly <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armaggon, Future Shark" href="#" target="_blank">Shark Horror Mutant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Getting Those Triggers Going</h2>
<p>Clearly, we can't count on the typical blink staples, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soulherder" href="#" target="_blank">Soulherder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But this doesn't mean we can't get our hands on some goodies.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Voyager Staff"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golden Argosy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conjurer&#039;s Closet"></div></div>
<p>First, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Voyager Staff" href="#" target="_blank">Voyager Staff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. What's extra nice about this card is its flexible use. It can be an offensive tool, actively blinking <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armaggon, Future Shark" href="#" target="_blank">our commander</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get rid of some pesky creatures as soon as possible. Or it can be a defensive option, making Armaggon disappear when needed.</p>
<p>Similarly, the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golden Argosy" href="#" target="_blank">Golden Argosy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> picks up on this latter note, becoming a very powerful proactive tool to reuse several of our creatures' triggered abilities. And later we'll see there's more than just Armaggon, Future Shark to this.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conjurer&#039;s Closet" href="#" target="_blank">Conjurer&#039;s Closet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the gold standard of blink effects. While it has been outclassed by many other cards in recent times, it's still an obvious go-to option in color combinations without white and blue. It's simple and to the point, reliably getting the work done.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Strionic Resonator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Panharmonicon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Saw in Half"></div></div>
<p>We can keep on stealing pages from Blink's book by including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strionic Resonator" href="#" target="_blank">Strionic Resonator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our list. While it's not technically a blink effect, it still does a ton of work, doubling a lot of triggered abilities.</p>
<p>But, do you know what's better than "a lot"? All. And that's exactly what <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does. Each creature entering under our control will trigger twice. Just imagine casting your commander and getting rid of six creatures. That's what dreams are made of.</p>
<p>Additionally, we also get to add the "mono-black twist" to this mix of staples: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saw in Half" href="#" target="_blank">Saw in Half</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Sure, it's a one-time-only card just like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Voyager Staff" href="#" target="_blank">Voyager Staff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but it is also an Instant that leaves behind two copies of the desired creature. That's a lot, if you ask me.</p>
<h2>The Mono-Black Way of Reanimation</h2>
<p>We also want to take full advantage of the strengths of our color. In this case, instant reanimation, aka, all of those cards that instantly get a creature back from the graveyard as soon as it dies.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Not Dead After All"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fake Your Own Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaya&#039;s Ghostform"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is as good as it gets in terms of this specific effect. One mana <em>and</em> an added bonus as the creature re-enters? That's a magical Christmas land.</p>
<p>We're also somewhat forced to run some two-mana versions of this effect as well. In this regard, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fake Your Own Death" href="#" target="_blank">Fake Your Own Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the least bad of the bunch, considering it refunds half of its price.</p>
<p>I wanted to reserve a special mention to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaya&#039;s Ghostform" href="#" target="_blank">Kaya&#039;s Ghostform</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Although it loses on the "gotcha" aspect of these cards, it still forces your opponents to play around it. And sometimes they simply can't.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashnod&#039;s Altar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vampiric Rites"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Victimize"></div></div>
<p>Still, we can't expect our opponents to do all the work for us. In other words, we might have to take our creatures out ourselves in order to use these instant reanimation spells.</p>
<p>Hence, we're running some sacrifice outlet to make sure we can kill them and bring them back whenever we want.</p>
<p>In such a mana-hungry deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a brainless inclusion, netting us two mana for each creature we renounce to. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vampiric Rites" href="#" target="_blank">Vampiric Rites</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is similar, but with cards, another resource we can't never get enough of.</p>
<p>Lastly, I want to highlight <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Victimize" href="#" target="_blank">Victimize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a sweet inclusion. Considering everything we want to do is trigger our creatures' abilities upon entering over and over again, a card that allows us to bring back two of them from the dead is always nice. And just imagine how well it pairs with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Love You to the Graveyard and Back</h2>
<p>Other than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armaggon, Future Shark" href="#" target="_blank">our commander</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we want some more creatures to move back and forth from exile and/or the graveyard.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Accursed Marauder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hecteyes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Priest of Gix"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Accursed Marauder" href="#" target="_blank">Accursed Marauder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can get some creatures out of the way before we're able to cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armaggon, Future Shark" href="#" target="_blank">Armaggon, Future Shark</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hecteyes" href="#" target="_blank">Hecteyes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the likes aim at disrupting our opponents' hands.</p>
<p>But it's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Priest of Gix" href="#" target="_blank">Priest of Gix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> who takes the spotlight here. If we start blinking it, it'll soon feel like a free <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> each turn. Or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Black Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, if you'd like.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ayara, First of Locthwain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disciple of Bolas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faceless Butcher"></div></div>
<p>Also, our creatures can help us with the scarifying half of the deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ayara, First of Locthwain" href="#" target="_blank">Ayara, First of Locthwain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes it repeatable and pairs it with life drain and card draw. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disciple of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Disciple of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> interprets this same idea but focusing on one huge swing.</p>
<p>The true winner of this category is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faceless Butcher" href="#" target="_blank">Faceless Butcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, especially if paired with Panharmonicon. We cast it, and exile a creature or two; we blink it, get back the creatures (and their triggered abilities); then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faceless Butcher" href="#" target="_blank">Faceless Butcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> re-enters and we repeat it all over again. How could one decline such value?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gray Merchant of Asphodel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crabomination"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sower of Discord"></div></div>
<p>I couldn't ever leave <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> out of the deck; probably it won't do all that much, but it's simply too iconic to exclude.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crabomination" href="#" target="_blank">Crabomination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> usually doesn't have a great impact on the game, considering it can only target one oppoent. Nonetheless, if our plan is to trigger it over and over again, it'll net us so much advantage that it'll be more than worthy of blinking.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sower of Discord" href="#" target="_blank">Sower of Discord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> falls more or less in the same category as the previous card. Yet, in this specific build, it can be efficiently used as a political tool: just blink it to reset it and see who gives you the best deal to be left out of its effect.</p>
<h2>Armaggon, Future Shark Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Armaggon Blink" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Armaggon, Future Shark
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Accursed Marauder
*1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
*1 Crabomination
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Dire Fleet Ravager
*1 Disciple of Bolas
*1 Elderfang Disciple
*1 Faceless Butcher
*1 Gonti, Lord of Luxury
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Hecteyes
*1 Nezumi Informant
*1 Priest of Gix
*1 Puppeteer Clique
*1 Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar
*1 Sheoldred // The True Scriptures
*1 Skullport Merchant
*1 Sower of Discord
*1 Twilight Diviner
*1 Virus Beetle
*1 Woe Strider
[/Creatures]
[Flickers and Doublers]
*1 Conjurer&#039;s Closet
*1 Golden Argosy
*1 Mirror of Life Trapping
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Saw in Half
*1 Cold Storage
*1 Strionic Resonator
*1 Voyager Staff
[/Flickers and Doublers]
[Sacrifice]
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Sacrifice
*1 Vampiric Rites
*1 Victimize
[/Sacrifice]
[Reanimation]
*1 Abnormal Endurance
*1 Agadeem&#039;s Awakening
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Intervention
*1 Demonic Gifts
*1 Fake Your Own Death
*1 Feign Death
*1 Kaya&#039;s Ghostform
*1 Malakir Rebirth
*1 Not Dead After All
*1 Return to Action
*1 Supernatural Stamina
*1 Undying Evil
*1 Undying Malice
[/Reanimation]
[Ramp]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Caged Sun
*1 Charcoal Diamond
*1 Empowered Autogenerator
*1 Extraplanar Lens
*1 Gauntlet of Power
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Nyx Lotus
*1 Sceptre of Eternal Glory
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Soul Stone
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Throne of Eldraine
[/Ramp]
[Lands]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Castle Locthwain
*1 Crypt of Agadeem
*1 High Market
*1 Lazotep Quarry
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Susur Secundi, Void Altar
*26 Swamp
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Witch&#039;s Cottage
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
<p>In the end, Armaggon, Future Shark truly surprised me. I wasn't expecting a whole lot from a card that can seem clunky and unimpressive at first glance. And yet, the more I got to add cards to the list, the more I could see an actual plan coming together.</p>
<p>Also, I still think this is an unrefined first version of the deck. By playing it and evaluating the cards it'd be possible to tune some numbers and move away from certain options that don't work as we'd like to.</p>
<p>In any case, this can be a good option for lower <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brackets</a>, where a slower and somewhat gimmicky deck can actually have time and space to "do its thing."<br />
Also, don't mind the mana base. While it's true that I wanted to optimize it as much as possible (considering how mana-hungry the deck is), the list can work perfectly fine even without including expensive staples like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>But now it's on to you! What do you think of the deck? What would you change about it? Let me know in the comments!</p>


armaggon

Mono-Black "Blink" With Armaggon, Future Shark