<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quandrix, the Proof" href="#" target="_blank">Quandrix, the Proof</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.lucasgraciano.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lucas Graciano</a></span></i></p>
<p>We're headed back to school! Ordinarily, that would be a drag. But, when school's got Dragons, spells, and even a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectacular Skywhale" href="#" target="_blank">Spectacular Skywhale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it's much more appealing.</p>
<p>As part of our return to Strixhaven's campus, we've got a <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/sos#cardlists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brand new cycle of Elder Dragons</a>. All five of these big creatures grant our instants and sorceries some powerful keywords, providing us with a payoff after spending a ton of mana to get them onto the field.</p>
<p>In our case, we're focusing on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quandrix, the Proof" href="#" target="_blank">Quandrix, the Proof</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the Simic (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) commander from the cycle. This version is much more powerful than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tanazir Quandrix" href="#" target="_blank">Tanazir Quandrix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from our last trip to the magical school, so I'm super excited to see what she can do at the helm of a Commander deck!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quandrix, the Proof"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Quandrix, the Proof Do?</h2>
<p>For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, we get a flying, trampling 6/6 with cascade. That lets us immediately derive some value from our commander, even if the spell gets countered on the stack. Once she's on the battlefield, Quandrix provides cascade to each instant and sorcery spell that we cast from our hand.</p>
<p>I'm reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That's another Simic commander that gives our stuff cascade, but Imoti forces us to cast huge spells to get any benefit from her abilities. Quandrix triggers on <em>any</em> instant or sorcery we cast from our hand, letting us cascade more often!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty"></div></div>
<p>Our 99 is built to maximize the value that Quandrix provides. We'll focus on ramping up to our commander in the early game, manipulating the top of our library to ensure that we always cascade into the right spells, and making use of some splashy cards to close the game out in style.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quandrix, the Proof" href="#" target="_blank">Quandrix, the Proof</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<h3>Top-Deck Manipulation</h3>
<p>To make sure that we get the spells we need <em>when</em> we need them, we've got a few ways to manipulate the top of our deck. It's disappointing to cascade into a simple ramp spell like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature&#039;s Lore" href="#" target="_blank">Nature&#039;s Lore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when we've already got enough lands, or into a counterspell when there's nothing else on the stack. Cards from this group help us avoid that painful possibility.</p>
<p>One of my favorites is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Palantír of Orthanc" href="#" target="_blank">Palantír of Orthanc</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can take a big chunk out of opposing life totals if we mill over something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Apex Altisaur" href="#" target="_blank">Apex Altisaur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Palantír is a consistent way to keep the top of our deck clean, draw a few cards, and it can hit the battlefield way before our commander does.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Palantír of Orthanc"></div></div>
<p>Then, there's a collection of other cards that let us change the top card of our library. From <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Portent" href="#" target="_blank">Portent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainsurge" href="#" target="_blank">Brainsurge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there's lots of ways to put exactly the card we want in prime position for cascading.</p>
<p>We've even got a few lands, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crystal Grotto" href="#" target="_blank">Crystal Grotto</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rivendell" href="#" target="_blank">Rivendell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to provide extra card selection in a pinch. Some top-deck tutors like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Personal Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Personal Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystical Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Mystical Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> round out this cadre, while also taking up one of our <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer slots</a>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brainstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crystal Grotto"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Personal Tutor"></div></div>
<h3>Discounted Spells for Bigger Cascades</h3>
<p>We're happy to cast any spell from our hand to trigger Quandrix's cascade ability, but there's some spells that have high mana values and can be cast for less. The <a href="https://tagger.scryfall.com/tags/card/cheaper-than-mv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"cheaper-than-mv" tag on Scryfall</a> was super helpful in building out this section of the 99. Free spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Misdirection" href="#" target="_blank">Misdirection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great examples, letting us cascade for five while being cast for (basically) free.</p>
<p>This is where two of our Game Changers slot in!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Force of Will"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Misdirection"></div></div>
<p>We can cascade for five by spending just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough" href="#" target="_blank">This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, cascade for five with either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dig Through Time" href="#" target="_blank">Dig Through Time</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or even cascade for seven while grabbing an opponent's spell with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commandeer" href="#" target="_blank">Commandeer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Any one of these cards can really turn the game around for us, providing us their own effect and grabbing another card from our library for free.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dig Through Time"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commandeer"></div></div>
<h3>Synergy Pieces</h3>
<p>Finally, we get to the synergy pieces. One of the best cards in this deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whirlwing Stormbrood" href="#" target="_blank">Whirlwing Stormbrood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which lets us cast our commander <em>and</em> all 25 of the sorceries that we've got in our deck at instant speed. This Dragon lets us hold up mana for interaction while also being able to ramp or draw cards if that interaction isn't necessary! It's even got its own spell built in, if we need a cascade trigger in a pinch.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whirlwing Stormbrood"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archmage of Runes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quandrix Apprentice"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archmage of Runes" href="#" target="_blank">Archmage of Runes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also provides us with some valuable card advantage and cost reduction, letting us keep throwing out spells from our hand at a rapid pace. We shouldn't have a problem reaching its <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> casting cost, either.</p>
<p>Last but certainly not least, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quandrix Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Quandrix Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This Human Wizard is one of my favorite creatures in all of Commander. It can hit the board early and keep our hand full of lands throughout the game. It's important that we continue gaining access to more mana after we cast our commander, so we can cast multiple three- and four-mana spells each turn. This two-drop creature ensures that we're able to do so.</p>
<p>It's only in 0.51% of eligible decks on EDHREC's database, and I'd love to see that number go up!</p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quandrix, the Proof" href="#" target="_blank">Quandrix, the Proof</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While most of our 99 is focused on generating value with our commander's cascade triggers, we do have a few specific win conditions. </span></p>
<p>First up, there's <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Legend of Kuruk" href="#" target="_blank">The Legend of Kuruk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This Saga starts off by providing us with a bit of top-deck maniuplation and card advantage, but turns into a Spirit token factory that also lets us take an extra turn at an opportune moment. The tokens created by Avatar Kuruk may only be 1/1s, but they're extremely evasive and can serve as a neat game-ending clock.</p>
<p>The extra turn that this transformed creature provides can also provide us with the window we need to win the game, provided that we didn't spend all of our mana to activate the ability in the first place.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Legend of Kuruk"></div></div>
<p>Then there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deekah, Fractal Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Deekah, Fractal Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. She lets us create huge creature tokens, and can make those tokens unblockable for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. The Fractals that she creates have a power and toughness that's dependent on the mana value of the spell we cast, not the amount of mana we spent to cast it. That means that the spells that we cascade into will make us some big tokens too!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deekah, Fractal Theorist"></div></div>
<p>Finally, failing all of that, there's <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 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone Legion" href="#" target="_blank">Clone Legion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We don't run a ton of creatures in our 99 - just 20 - so these big spells should provide us with the power and toughness we'll need to crash through for victory in combat. Clone Legion has the added benefit of cascading into another spell, letting us pull off some truly crazy turns.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Craterhoof Behemoth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clone Legion"></div></div>
<h2>Quandrix, the Proof Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Proof of Life" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Quandrix, the Proof
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Apex Altisaur
*1 Archmage of Runes
*1 Bloomvine Regent // Claim Territory
*1 Cavalier of Gales
*1 Craterhoof Behemoth
*1 Deekah, Fractal Theorist
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Fanatic of Rhonas
*1 Fyndhorn Elves
*1 Haughty Djinn
*1 Hullbreaker Horror
*1 Jadzi, Oracle of Arcavios // Journey to the Oracle
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Nyxbloom Ancient
*1 Quandrix Apprentice
*1 Studious First-Year // Rampant Growth
*1 Thing in the Ice // Awoken Horror
*1 Whirlwing Stormbrood // Dynamic Soar
*1 Wistfulness
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary
*1 Bridgeworks Battle // Tanglespan Bridgeworks
*1 Clone Legion
*1 Ezuri&#039;s Predation
*1 Farseek
*1 Last March of the Ents
*1 Majestic Genesis
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Nissa&#039;s Pilgrimage
*1 Personal Tutor
*1 Ponder
*1 Portent
*1 Portent of Calamity
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn
*1 Season of Gathering
*1 See the Truth
*1 Three Visits
*1 Treasure Cruise
*1 Wisdom of Ages
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Auroral Procession
*1 Blessed Respite
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Brainsurge
*1 Commandeer
*1 Counterspell
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Force of Will
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Harrow
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Misdirection
*1 Mystic Confluence
*1 Mystical Tutor
*1 Obscuring Haze
*1 Reclaim
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 This Town Ain&#039;t Big Enough
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Buster Sword
*1 Palantír of Orthanc
*1 Sensei&#039;s Divining Top
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Sylvan Library
*1 The Legend of Kuruk // Avatar Kuruk
[/Enchantments]
[Battles]
*1 Invasion of Segovia // Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia
[/Battles]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Crystal Grotto
*1 Dreamroot Cascade
*1 Flooded Grove
*8 Forest
*1 Hedge Maze
*1 Hidden Grotto
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*7 Island
*1 Kishla Village
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Rivendell
*1 Rumble Arena
*1 Temple of Mystery
*1 Waterlogged Grove
*1 Willowrush Verge
*1 Yavimaya Coast
*1 Zhalfirin Void
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each of the five new <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/ranking-every-elder-dragon-on-a-tier-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elder Dragons</a> is super interesting. They allow us to do something really strong with our instants and sorceries, while still feeling tied to their college's identity. I am happy to see <em>Wizards</em> bring storm back in a relatively controlled way, and I'm also thrilled to see the return of casualty. I think that casualty, in particular, has been in need of some love. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's great to see this <em>New Capenna</em> mechanic tied to <em>Secrets of Strixhaven</em>'s most iconic creatures.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silverquill, the Disputant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prismari, the Inspiration"></div></div>
<p>Regardless of my affinity (no pun intended) for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> decks, I'm particularly intrigued by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lorehold, the Historian" href="#" target="_blank">Lorehold, the Historian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This flying beater reduces the cost of our spells under specific conditions while helping us meet those conditions, providing a unique sort of value engine.</p>
<p>Which of these five Dragons is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll be back next week with more <em>Strixhaven</em> commentary!</p>


best simic commanders

Building a Spellslinger Deck with Quandrix, the Proof

Mixing Enchantress and Pod Strategies With Prime Speaker Vannifar