The Tectonic Shift from EDH to Commander

The Top 10 Most Played Cards in Commander 2011

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zedruu the Greathearted" href="#" target="_blank">Zedruu the Greathearted</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.markzug.com/">Mark Zug</a></em></p>
<p>This week, we return to our <em>Commander Remastered </em>series, where we take old precons and rework them to be more in line with the ones we get today. This time, we're focusing on our first <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/jeskai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeskai</a> (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" 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>) precon in <em>Political Puppets</em>, featuring our first three ever commanders to grace this color combination.</p>
<p>However, in contrast to the other precons from the original release, this one takes a different approach to a game. What is that, precisely?</p>
<h2>Zedruu the GOAT</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zedruu the Greathearted"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ruhan of the Fomori"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Numot, the Devastator"></div></div>
<p>Our precon for the week, <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/political-puppets" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Political Puppets</em></a>, is very much a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/group-hug" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Group Hug/Politics</a> deck. Designed to interact with your opponents, making deals and helping others out until you take over the game after biding enough time.</p>
<p>Like <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aristocrats</a>, this is way out of my wheelhouse. Personally, I don't make deals and prefer to pummel some life totals instead. That said, I cannot ignore that the precon was designed with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zedruu the Greathearted" href="#" target="_blank">Zedruu the Greathearted</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in mind, so we, too, will assume she's our commander for this week.</p>
<p>I will note that she's notorious for donating some nasty stuff, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Steel Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Steel Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyromancer&#039;s Swath" href="#" target="_blank">Pyromancer&#039;s Swath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we're not doing that here. Instead, we're going to stay true to the precon's theme, and work from there.</p>
<h3>Rules Redux</h3>
<p>For a quick refresher, and for those new readers who may be wondering, the following rules are the foundations by which I remake these precons:</p>
<ol>
<li>The value of the deck cannot exceed $120. This will apply to the reprints only, which gets to my first personal quirk.</li>
<li>Every card unique to the original precon stays in the deck. All those new cards that get released with precons remain in the list.</li>
<li>The land package should closely reflect what we get in precons these days (and, in my humble opinion, they're actually pretty good).</li>
<li>For at least until 2020, we're not tied to a particular set, so we're free to choose whatever we want. You can be assured I have ideas for 2020 and beyond, though.</li>
<li>Universes Beyond cards are not added. No exceptions, unless they have a in-universe variant.</li>
</ol>
<p>With that out of the way, let's barter some deals, shall we? Lest we end up being like a bunch of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Droning Bureaucrats" href="#" target="_blank">Droning Bureaucrats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2><em>Political Puppets: </em>The Original Precon Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Political Puppets - Commander 2011" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zedruu the Greathearted
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Arbiter of Knollridge
*1 Azorius Guildmage
*1 Brion Stoutarm
*1 Chromeshell Crab
*1 Court Hussar
*1 Dominus of Fealty
*1 False Prophet
*1 Flametongue Kavu
*1 Fog Bank
*1 Goblin Cadets
*1 Gomazoa
*1 Guard Gomazoa
*1 Izzet Chronarch
*1 Jötun Grunt
*1 Nin, the Pain Artist
*1 Numot, the Devastator
*1 Plumeveil
*1 Rapacious One
*1 Ruhan of the Fomori
*1 Spurnmage Advocate
*1 Vedalken Plotter
*1 Wall of Denial
*1 Wall of Omens
*1 Windborn Muse
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Lash Out
*1 Murmurs from Beyond
*1 Oblation
*1 Perilous Research
*1 Pollen Lullaby
*1 Punishing Fire
*1 Reins of Power
*1 Repulse
*1 Scattering Stroke
*1 Spell Crumple
*1 Vision Skeins
*1 Whirlpool Whelm
*1 Wild Ricochet
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Breath of Darigaaz
*1 Death by Dragons
*1 Insurrection
*1 Skyscribing
*1 Trade Secrets
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Armillary Sphere
*1 Champion&#039;s Helm
*1 Darksteel Ingot
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Howling Mine
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Prophetic Prism
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Crescendo of War
*1 Ghostly Prison
*1 Journey to Nowhere
*1 Martyr&#039;s Bond
*1 Prison Term
*1 Propaganda
*1 Soul Snare
*1 Vow of Duty
*1 Vow of Flight
*1 Vow of Lightning
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*12 Island
*1 Izzet Boilerworks
*8 Mountain
*8 Plains
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Surveying the Courts</h2>
<p>Back when I returned to playing the game with the precons, I remember giving the least attention to this deck, and I remember why: That mana base, of all the ones I've seen with precons, is the worst. No question, it's the worst one out there.</p>
<p>On one hand, the lands back then were not of great quality compared to now, but my personal strike against this deck is the land count. Thirty-four lands is a bad, bad place to be, unless you're looking for a much higher <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bracket</a>. However, we're sticking with Bracket 2, so that number needs to go higher.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flusterstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trade Secrets"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breath of Darigaaz"></div></div>
<p>In addition, we have a banned card in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trade Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Trade Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so that gets chopped. Secondly, we have quite an array of small, weak effects that don't really impact the game. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breath of Darigaaz" href="#" target="_blank">Breath of Darigaaz</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are too weak for use these days. Unless, that is, you're running a dedicated Kicker list.</p>
<p>So, if we're going to upgrade this deck, we'll need to really crank those gears and make this precon stronger.</p>
<h2>Navigating Harsh Realities</h2>
<p>Remastering <em>Political Puppets</em> took some ugly turns, as you'll see in a moment. A lot of the key pieces for Zedruu became too expensive to add, let alone keep in the deck. While we hit our goal of approximately $120, this was a scenario where I wound up adding to the initial amount before cutting it down.</p>
<p>One of the key offenders this time around is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flusterstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Flusterstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which sees more play in 60-card formats than Commander. It's one of the most expensive cards in the remastered version, yet one I also couldn't remove because of the rules.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Djinn of Infinite Deceits"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Psychosis Crawler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sudden Substitution"></div></div>
<p>However, the doom and gloom above doesn't mean this precon was a lost cause. The mana base is much more refined, and the land count increased to a safer number. What we couldn't keep or acquire led to some rather creative additions, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Djinn of Infinite Deceits" href="#" target="_blank">Djinn of Infinite Deceits</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>We also sport a few alternative win-cons like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triskaidekaphile" href="#" target="_blank">Triskaidekaphile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and ways to cut life totals down such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychosis Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Psychosis Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I will add that swapping lands around will mean that Zedruu will more likely get you stronger upkeep triggers. That said, try not to be "that guy" about it (same can be said about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Numot, the Devastator" href="#" target="_blank">Numot, the Devastator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<h2><em>Political Puppets </em>Remastered Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Political Puppets" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zedruu the Greathearted
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Avarice Totem
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Champion&#039;s Helm
*1 Coveted Jewel
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Ghirapur Orrery
*1 Izzet Signet
*1 Pendant of Prosperity
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Talisman of Progress
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Akroan Horse
*1 Baird, Steward of Argive
*1 Djinn of Infinite Deceits
*1 Humble Defector
*1 Izzet Chronarch
*1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
*1 Kwain, Itinerant Meddler
*1 Nin, the Pain Artist
*1 Numot, the Devastator
*1 Perplexing Chimera
*1 Psychosis Crawler
*1 Ruhan of the Fomori
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Spurnmage Advocate
*1 Triskaidekaphile
*1 Vedalken Plotter
*1 Wall of Omens
*1 Windborn Muse
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Oblation
*1 Reins of Power
*1 Shifting Borders
*1 Spell Crumple
*1 Sudden Substitution
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Vision Skeins
*1 Wild Ricochet
*1 Wrong Turn
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Death by Dragons
*1 Harmless Offering
*1 Legerdemain
*1 Minds Aglow
*1 Promise of Loyalty
*1 Role Reversal
*1 Shifting Grift
*1 Skyscribing
*1 Switcheroo
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Crescendo of War
*1 Mana Flare
*1 Martyr&#039;s Bond
*1 Soul Snare
*1 Vow of Duty
*1 Vow of Flight
*1 Vow of Lightning
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Cascade Bluffs
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Frostboil Snarl
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Glittering Massif
*1 Irrigated Farmland
*7 Island
*7 Mountain
*1 Mystic Monastery
*7 Plains
*1 Port Town
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Radiant Summit
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Donating Fresh Ideas</h2>
<p>Like I said above, a lot of creative choices weaseled their way into the list. My idea was to make up for the cards that were too expensive to stick around. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coveted Jewel" href="#" target="_blank">Coveted Jewel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, is a fun one. It ensures opponents attack each other, and we get some advantages ourselves. Even better, if opponents can't slip through our defenses, we can use Zedruu to donate the Jewel instead.</p>
<p>Heavy is the head that bears the jewel, after all.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coveted Jewel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pendant of Prosperity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Perplexing Chimera"></div></div>
<p>Meanwhile, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shifting Grift" href="#" target="_blank">Shifting Grift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pendant of Prosperity" href="#" target="_blank">Pendant of Prosperity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ensure that our opponents will get something of ours and reap the benefits from it. That said, I must mention that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Perplexing Chimera" href="#" target="_blank">Perplexing Chimera</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not exactly an easy card for newer players to wrap their heads around. Even then, this is a precon I don't recommend to them either.</p>
<p>Politicking takes a lot of finessing, and unless you're some prodigal politician, it'll take some time to adjust.</p>
<h2>Lasting Peace</h2>
<p>While <em>Political Puppets</em> isn't my favorite precon, I'm sure the remastered version goes a long way towards rivaling today's precons. I'm more of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruhan of the Fomori" href="#" target="_blank">Ruhan of the Fomori</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> guy, especially when he's equipped with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunforger" href="#" target="_blank">Sunforger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (I swear! I didn't choose to attack you, it was the dice!).</p>
<p>Anyway, come back next week, where we give a notorious commander some <em>compleatly</em> new upgrades.</p>


Political Puppets Commander Precon Remastered

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast|mh3|343" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CLivia+Prima%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Livia Prima</a></em></p>
<p>There's been a massive surge in popularity for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> since her release last year. She currently holds an esteemed ranking as the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#6 most popular commander</a>. The question on the table: Will she breach into the Top 5? And, perhaps just as importantly, if so, <em>when</em>?</p>
<p>However, an obstacle stands in Y'shtola's way. She is an obstacle as old as Wizards of the Coast's support of the format. She's a major tour de force of the format at large. Her name? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prizefight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaalia of the Vast"></div></div>
<p>Ladies, gentlemen, neither, both, and everyone besides, the fight to claim the #5 spot on EDHREC's Most Popular Commanders list is just getting warmed up. Will this bout end up in Y'shtola, the challenger's, favor? Or will a mainstay of foundational Commander bring her to her knees? Let's look at some details.</p>
<h2>The Reigning #5 Commander: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been around since the summer of 2011. At that time, the format was young and had just gained product support from Wizards of the Coast. Kaalia was one of the initial five "face commanders" for the <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon#commander2011" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Commander 2011</em> precon products</a>. She led the <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/heavenly-inferno" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Heavenly Inferno</em> precon</a>, a relative hodgepodge of cards within the themes of Angels, Demons, and Dragons.</p>
<p>The current reigning #5 commander was the glue that held that deck together; without Kaalia, the deck would be a shambles altogether. Since her release, she's even had a retrain in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia, Zenith Seeker" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia, Zenith Seeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, though that iteration of the character hasn't had nearly as much success.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaalia, Zenith Seeker"></div></div>
<p>Nowadays, Kaalia of the Vast commands <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/kaalia-of-the-vast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">32,449 decks on EDHREC</a>, and, as mentioned, is the #5 most popular commander on the site right now.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for the powerhouse, that may soon change.</p>
<h2>The Challenger: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Notably, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only came out last summer, with the highly-acclaimed <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/fin" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Final Fantasy</em></a> set. <em>Final Fantasy</em> and its four preconstructed Commander decks were a testament to the growth and appeal of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> on the whole, as well as the Commander format, to boot.</p>
<p>While Y'shtola led the <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/scions-spellcraft" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Scions &amp; Spellcraft</em> Commander deck</a> representing <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>, she, too, had an additional iteration in print, albeit in the main set. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola Rhul" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola Rhul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not nearly as popular as Night's Blessed, much like how Zenith Chronicler lacks in that department as well, where Kaalia is concerned.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola Rhul"></div></div>
<p>As of the time of writing, Y'shtola, Night's Blessed has <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/yshtola-nights-blessed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">30,214 decks on EDHREC</a>, and is soon to contest the rank of #5 Most Popular Commander on EDHREC.</p>
<h2>Some Insights</h2>
<p>The developers over here at EDHREC have come to an interesting insight. With the current trajectory and trending numbers, it seems that, indeed, Y'shtola, Night's Blessed <em>will overtake Kaalia</em>! In about 28 days, give or take a few, we can expect to see Y'shtola claim the #5 spot on our <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Top Commanders</a> page.</p>
<p>Now, that's not a perfect estimation, and predictions have a chance of faltering. After all, it took a good many days for Sephiroth to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/sephiroth-fabled-soldier-now-the-top-mono-black-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take the mantle as the most popular mono-black commander</a> after I preemptively wrote about that happening. Time is funky, friends. But all that to say, it'll probably happen in about that span of time. When it does, I can't wait to cover any further ascension of the Night's Blessed.</p>
<p>And now, I'd like to open the floor to you, dear readers! I know we've been doting over Y'shtola and waxing poetic about how cool the commander is in various articles lately.</p>
<p>What I want to know from you is, where do you see <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/yshtola-nights-blessed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Y'shtola, Night's Blessed</a> ending up on the Most Popular Commanders list by the end of, say, June? How about the end of December 2026? Place your predictions in the comments below!</p>


commander 2011

The Tectonic Shift from EDH to Commander

The Top 10 Most Played Cards in Commander 2011

Political Puppets Commander Precon Remastered

Will Y'shtola Break Into the Top 5 Most Popular Commanders?

The 5 Most Important Magic Sets for Commander

Counterpunch - Ghave Precon Upgrade

Heavenly Inferno - Kaalia Precon Upgrade

Political Puppets Precon Upgrade