<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.chasestoneart.com/">Chase Stone</a></span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While I try to avoid revisiting creature types, as there are plenty out there and I want to give them all their due, Heroes and Dragons have both been revisited. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dragons were the first type reviewed, and then they were revisited after the Theme Deck Throwdown, albeit with fewer colors. Today, we’re going to triple down on a creature type, although in a completely different way.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you guessed it? It’s Dragons…again!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s amazing how versatile creature types can be, especially when the roster is stacked. We’ve seen Dragons as a five-color good stuff deck, a ramp deck, and yet this build is going to be completely different. It’s even going to be the same monocolor as the Throwdown winner!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When we last reviewed Dragons, we looked primarily at them as the apex of evolution, the top of the curve, the payoff to our buildup. But what if we looked at Dragons as inevitable bringers of destruction? Dragons are far more than just big fliers; they make their presence known and they can be resilient, too.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathliss, Dragon Queen"></div></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dragon History</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dragons have been around since the beginning of <em>Magic’s</em> history, typically as the gigantic flying embodiments of power. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They’re not quite like HBO's <em>House of the Dragon </em>level medieval nuclear weapons, but they are incredibly strong and adept at beating players down from the air. There’s more to them than that, however.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dragons also breathe fire, and their very presence on the battlefield fundamentally changes the course of the conflict. That’s the kind of Dragons we’re going to build around today. These giant, scaly monsters are going to make their presence known and show just how difficult to keep down Dragons can be.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we show Dragons’ resilience? And how does that relate to their ability to strike fear into foes?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feldon of the Third Path"></div></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most obvious aspect to notice about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is that he is not a Dragon. With all of the legendary Dragons out there, why would we choose a commander that isn’t a Dragon? He doesn’t even reference Dragons, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirilan of the Claw" href="#" target="_blank">Zirilan of the Claw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Feldon does do is something red has been getting occasional support for over the years: weird forms of reanimation. Reanimation is usually black’s deal, and, while there are colorless ways to reanimate, which we are absolutely using, Feldon goes about it in a different way.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Feldon makes copies of creatures in our grave, only they’re artifacts, have haste, and go away at the end of the turn.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So we need our Dragons to make an impact.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Dragons we’re using all have enters-the-battlefield (ETB) effects. Being big isn’t enough; we want our Dragons to come out, make their presence known, and then go back to the grave. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being able to return over and over is where we get the resilience, and building up ETBs makes sure our Dragons announce themselves loudly each time.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bogardan Hellkite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Red Dragon"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bogardan Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Bogardan Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic big-bang-shot Dragon, one of the win conditions of the legendary Gassy Knoll <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. When it enters, it deals damage to any number of targets, which is really powerful to copy with Feldon. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Remember: Feldon doesn’t immediately remove the creature it copies, so you can copy the same creature over and over.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunted Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skyline Despot"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When building a relatively linear deck, I like to include cards that increase the deck’s “play” (ability to present unique scenarios, making them fun to pick up). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunted Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hunted Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun political tool and was even included in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks back in the day. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skyline Despot" href="#" target="_blank">Skyline Despot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adds the Monarch to the game, which is always a fun time, with extra cards and reasons for combat-encouraging action.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faithless Looting"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrill of Possibility"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The other heavily-featured effect in the deck is cheap red looting/rummaging effects. These cards let us dig through the deck, loading the grave up for reanimation shenanigans. Those reanimation spells are rare to find in mono-red, but we can find them with our card velocity.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="God-Pharaoh&#039;s Gift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Search for Survivors"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We need these additional reanimation spells to accommodate not having our commander out, which is a concern when we are loading our Dragons in a public place, our graveyard, and our commander requires a turn cycle to activate. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Much of what we do is forecasted, so having <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="God-Pharaoh&#039;s Gift" href="#" target="_blank">God-Pharaoh&#039;s Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> eternalizing our Dragons or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Search for Survivors" href="#" target="_blank">Search for Survivors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> making our opponents choose what we get back gives us additional our. Search is a hidden gem, by the way, as a cool color pie break.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geier Reach Sanitarium"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arena of Glory"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sanitarium is a fun additional source of looting, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena of Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Arena of Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help offset Feldon’s frailty by giving him haste, enabling our shenanigans early.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we close the game out?</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terror of the Peaks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spawn of Thraxes"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlike the other Dragon decks we’ve looked at, this one wants to engulf the table in fire. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have our Dragons blast opponents on ETB, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spawn of Thraxes" href="#" target="_blank">Spawn of Thraxes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deals damage equal to the number of mountains we control, acting as an incredible finisher and a glorious reanimation target!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Feldon of the Third Path Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Feldon of the Third Path
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Bogardan Hellkite
*1 Demanding Dragon
*1 Dragonhawk, Fate&#039;s Tempest
*1 Fire Dragon
*1 Furyborn Hellkite
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Hellkite Courser
*1 Hunted Dragon
*1 Knollspine Dragon
*1 Lathliss, Dragon Queen
*1 Lava-Field Overlord
*1 Magmatic Hellkite
*1 Obsidian Charmaw
*1 Opportunistic Dragon
*1 Patron of the Arts
*1 Plundering Predator
*1 Preyseizer Dragon
*1 Rapacious Dragon
*1 Red Dragon
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Skyline Despot
*1 Spawn of Thraxes
*1 Swashbuckler Extraordinaire
*1 Terror of Mount Velus
*1 Terror of the Peaks
*1 Themberchaud
*1 Thunder Dragon
*1 Thundermaw Hellkite
*1 Tyrant of Kher Ridges
*1 Vengeful Ancestor
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Gate to the Afterlife
*1 Ghost Vacuum
*1 God-Pharaoh&#039;s Gift
*1 Mimic Vat
*1 Staff of Eden, Vault&#039;s Key
*1 Yggdrasil, Rebirth Engine
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Big Score
*1 Cathartic Pyre
*1 Demand Answers
*1 Electric Revelation
*1 Faithless Salvaging
*1 Laughing Mad
*1 Sazacap&#039;s Brew
*1 Spit Flame
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Unexpected Windfall
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Grab the Prize
*1 Highway Robbery
*1 Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*1 Reforge the Soul
*1 Romantic Rendezvous
*1 Search for Survivors
*1 Seize the Spoils
*1 Tormenting Voice
*1 Wheel of Misfortune
*1 Wild Guess
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Dragon Breath
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Bonders&#039; Enclave
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Fogwell&#039;s Gym
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 High Market
*30 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Spinerock Knoll
*1 War Room
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dragons have a ton of breadth…and a ton of breath! There are so many ways to build them: good stuff, clones, ramp, and now reanimator! Which is your favorite?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How would you build Dragons? And who would lead them into the fray?</span></p>


Dragon Typal Reanimator with Feldon of the Third Path

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vial Smasher the Fierce" href="#" target="_blank">Vial Smasher the Fierce</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/deruch">Deruchenko Alexander</a></em></p>
<p>Greetings and salutations my dear brewers, and welcome to my Summer special!</p>
<p>Every year, when going on vacation, I try leaving you a little treat, something rather peculiar and most often quite silly.</p>
<p>This time, I had it served on a silver plate. Mark my words: today, August 14th, is a day to be remembered. Today, my dear and glorious editor in chief, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/nick-wolf">Nick Wolf</a>, turns 40. I therefore officially welcome him into the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Fogey" href="#" target="_blank">Old Fogey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Club!</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="sFlh5c FyHeAf iPVvYb" src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyNzZmNXNpNWJ1dmlsM3ZucG5uaTVscjFieXN4cjdseWZ4cHpoZmdhMCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/pWO49XP9L7TxbgQVib/giphy.gif" alt="Happy Birthday Party GIF by The Office - Find &amp; Share on GIPHY" /></p>
<p>These are joyful times, worthy of the uttermost celebration, abundant drinking of preferred beverages, and unlimited debauchery (well, maybe not the latter, and thank the Mana for Oxford commas, but I digress).</p>
<p>Fun fact: three weeks ago, my latest <em>Trim</em> featured <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/trimmed-feldon-of-the-third-path-goes-big-badaboom">Feldon of the Third Path</a>, and it's apparently Nick's favorite commander. In other words, I was unknowingly off by three weeks.</p>
<p>But all hope is not lost! He also told me about his second favorite commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vial Smasher the Fierce" href="#" target="_blank">Vial Smasher the Fierce</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And went as far as to suggest that pesky Goblin could be the main feature of this anniversary brew.</p>
<p>I felt compelled to oblige... on my own terms. But first, let's have a look at the commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vial Smasher the Fierce"></div></div>
<p>This is a very fun little Goblin, and there are many, many ways to build around her. You can partner with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrasios, Triton Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Thrasios, Triton Hero</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to make a disgusting value engine.</p>
<p>You can take the fun route with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to try and make as many clones of Vial as humanly possible, even giving some to your opponents, only to wreak wonderful chaos. Or you can go solo.</p>
<p>With Nick gently nudging my tender areas (aka smashing my pancreas with his elbow), I had no choice but to undertake this route.</p>
<p>You know how we old people are. We like to complain (especially if you're French, hello!), we're slow to take decisions, we don't like convoluted stuff, and mostly we don't give an F... about anything any more.</p>
<p>I thought this should be a strong feature for Nick's deck. Therefore, I decided it would contain no cards costing less than four mana. He's turning 40, it's time he embraced the power of the four (and the five, and the six...)!</p>
<p>So yeah, this is going to be a deck with an abysmally bad curve. I wouldn't recommend taking your chances in environments higher than Bracket 2. You've been warned.</p>
<p>I'm also going to try keeping this rather budget friendly. This is no regular <em>Trim, </em>and there will be a few expensive pieces of cardboard, but I'll do my best to keep it around the $100 threshold.</p>
<p>And with these rules set in place, let's begin the build.</p>
<hr />
<h2>First Brick – Veggies Take a Long Time to Grow</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Fire Crystal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dance with Calamity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Volcanic Salvo"></div></div>
<p>So, where to start.</p>
<p>I'd suggest, as the name of the paragraph implies, tackling the veggies first. Yes, it's redundant, but us old geezers like to rant.</p>
<p>Anyway, since the curve is going to be abysmally high, I'm going to need all the help I can get. This means a rather high land count – 38-39-ish sounds about right – as well as a hefty ramp package – 15-16 should do the trick.</p>
<p>In essence, the plan is rather simple: cast your commander on turn three, some ramp or outlet on turn four-five, and reach for the sky from there.</p>
<p>It is paramount that you don't miss a single land drop until at the very least turn four, as you won't be able to do much before then, aside from the occasional <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myriad Landscape" href="#" target="_blank">Myriad Landscape</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>For ramp, I've gone with basically all the proven classics in these colors that wouldn't throw me over budget. Think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gilded Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Gilded Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vibranium Dynamo" href="#" target="_blank">Vibranium Dynamo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brass&#039;s Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Brass&#039;s Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the like.</p>
<p>There are a few more expensive pieces here and there – <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Darkness Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Darkness Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at $4.44; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at $4.75; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Fire Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Fire Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at $5.32 – but overall I've managed to keep this rather reasonable.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Orrery" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Orrery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would have been a fantastic addition, but at more than $37, that was a no-go.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peer into the Abyss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Money"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skull Storm"></div></div>
<p>Draw is in the usual range, with 11 spells providing more options. This is a little on the low-end of what I like to play, but since this is first and foremost a silly brew, I want to believe it will work out.</p>
<p>Among these fine outlets, you'll find silly things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peer into the Abyss" href="#" target="_blank">Peer into the Abyss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the fabulous <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dance with Calamity" href="#" target="_blank">Dance with Calamity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twilight Prophet" href="#" target="_blank">Twilight Prophet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is almost another copy of your commander, or the surprisingly effective <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rakdos, Patron of Chaos" href="#" target="_blank">Rakdos, Patron of Chaos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>As for removal, there are nine pieces of targeted disintegration, and four ways to blow the field to smithereens.</p>
<p>Several of those can benefit from a reduced mana cost – <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Volcanic Salvo" href="#" target="_blank">Volcanic Salvo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyrokinesis" href="#" target="_blank">Pyrokinesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curtains&#039; Call" href="#" target="_blank">Curtains&#039; Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> – While other will be absolutely spectacular when cast. I'm thinking <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of the Cabal" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of the Cabal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skull Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Skull Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Board wipes follow the same logic. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a classic, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Money" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Money</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="In Garruk&#039;s Wake" href="#" target="_blank">In Garruk&#039;s Wake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> much less so.</p>
<p>Finally, a few protection outlets will make sure creatures look at other player's boards. Situational, but fun.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Second Brick – A Fireplace Is for Burning Your Enemie's Corpses</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fiendish Duo"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaervek the Merciless"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whip of Erebos"></div></div>
<p>Now that the tedious part is over, let's see what's left.</p>
<p>In a way, the veggies already reflect what I wanted to achieve with this deck: spells that are either cheaper than they look, or spectacular fireworks worth every mana spent to cast them.</p>
<p>First, there's the five unilateral damage doublers. I would have played even more of those if not for their high price tag – <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="City on Fire" href="#" target="_blank">City on Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is $13, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is $14, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is $24 – but even without these there are plenty of fun outlets.</p>
<p>Think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angrath&#039;s Marauders" href="#" target="_blank">Angrath&#039;s Marauders</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiendish Duo" href="#" target="_blank">Fiendish Duo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obosh, the Preypiercer" href="#" target="_blank">Obosh, the Preypiercer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Fun times, fun times.</p>
<p>Then there are the burn outlets. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaervek the Merciless" href="#" target="_blank">Kaervek the Merciless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will basically serve as a second commander in the 99; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadow of Mortality" href="#" target="_blank">Shadow of Mortality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will often cost <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-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and deal a mortal blow somewhere; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prisoner&#039;s Dilemma" href="#" target="_blank">Prisoner&#039;s Dilemma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is among the most expensive cards in the deck, but well worth its salt.</p>
<p>Finally, a few random outlets here and there. Some give lifelink to your creatures or your spells. Some provide graveyard recursion. And let's add a few expensive creatures that can be cast for much less than their actual hefty cost.</p>
<p>All in the service of third degree burns.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Third Brick – Old-Timers Never Die</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Awaken the Ancient"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feldon of the Third Path"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Where Ancients Tread"></div></div>
<p>I could not in good faith devise a birthday deck without referring to the passing of time, to decrepitude, to decay, to dilapidation. My friend, my boss, my Nick, these are to remind you that you are, quite literally, getting old.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: This is the one and only exception to the four-mana threshold set in the beginning, but since it's his favorite commander, I think good old Feldon deserves his spot here.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Awaken the Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Awaken the Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Tell me Nick, are you hating more and more that pesky alarm clock? Trust me, it gets worse.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Where Ancients Tread" href="#" target="_blank">Where Ancients Tread</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Careful where you walk my friend, lest you break a leg.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Dawning Archaic" href="#" target="_blank">The Dawning Archaic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: A fitting portrait, if you ask me.</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Flitterfang" href="#" target="_blank">Old Flitterfang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: Mmmmh, yummy birthday cake!</li>
</ul>
<p>All this leads to:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Vial Smasher, the Old" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Vial Smasher the Fierce
[/Commander]
[Double Damage]
*1 Angrath&#039;s Marauders
*1 Fiendish Duo
*1 Gratuitous Violence
*1 Obosh, the Preypiercer
*1 Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit
[/Double Damage]
[Wipe]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Blood Money
*1 Decree of Pain
*1 In Garruk&#039;s Wake
[/Wipe]
[Removal]
*1 Baleful Mastery
*1 Chandra&#039;s Incinerator
*1 Curse of the Cabal
*1 Curtains&#039; Call
*1 Phthisis
*1 Pyrokinesis
*1 Skull Storm
*1 Volcanic Salvo
*1 Volcanic Vision
[/Removal]
[Ramp]
*1 Black Market
*1 Brass&#039;s Bounty
*1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Empowered Autogenerator
*1 Firemind Vessel
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Pyromancer&#039;s Goggles
*1 Sisay&#039;s Ring
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Stonespeaker Crystal
*1 The Darkness Crystal
*1 The Fire Crystal
*1 Thran Dynamo
[/Ramp]
[Draw]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Ancient Craving
*1 Apex of Power
*1 Bloodsoaked Insight // Sanguine Morass
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Dance with Calamity
*1 Feed the Infection
*1 Incendiary Command
*1 Peer into the Abyss
*1 Rakdos, Patron of Chaos
*1 Twilight Prophet
[/Draw]
[Protection]
*1 Brash Taunter
*1 Disrupt Decorum
*1 Wild Ricochet
[/Protection]
[Misc]
*1 Avatar of Fury
*1 Bygone Colossus
*1 Judith, Carnage Connoisseur
*1 Rise of the Dark Realms
*1 Whip of Erebos
[/Misc]
[Burn]
*1 Kaervek the Merciless
*1 Painful Quandary
*1 Prisoner&#039;s Dilemma
*1 Shadow of Mortality
[/Burn]
[Old Fogey]
*1 Awaken the Ancient
*1 Feldon of the Third Path
*1 The Dawning Archaic
*1 Where Ancients Tread
*1 Old Flitterfang
[/Old Fogey]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Foreboding Ruins
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Graven Cairns
*10 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Rakdos Carnarium
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Shadowblood Ridge
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*7 Swamp
*1 Tainted Peak
*1 Temple of Malice
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<hr />
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I hope you all enjoyed this wacky brew in high-mana-value land. I hope you won't get too mad at me Nick (please don't fire me). I hope you all have a great summer.</p>
<p>And don't worry, <em>Inside Out</em> and <em>Beyond Universes Within</em> will be back after my no-so-well-deserved holidays.</p>
<p>See you next week for a more regular <em>Trim!</em></p>


birthday

Dragon Typal Reanimator with Feldon of the Third Path

Old Age Is A Vile Smasher