All The Value With Ashling, the Limitless - Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mass of Mysteries" href="#" target="_blank">Mass of Mysteries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://jeffmiracola.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeff Miracola</a></span></i></p>
<h2>Elemental History</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elementals are an inherently mysterious creature type, representing raw forces of nature and the living embodiments of emotions. Perhaps the biggest mystery, to me, surrounds that last role: how are Elementals different from Incarnations? Why is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> an Elemental Incarnation, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anger" href="#" target="_blank">Anger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just an Incarnation? Am I the only one who finds this weird? Probably.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even the Elementals of <em>Lorwyn</em> are mysterious. On one hand, there’s the rainbow-colored variety, which I used in my first-ever Pro Tour Qualifier during <em>Shadowmoor</em> Block Constructed, which featured <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horde of Notions" href="#" target="_blank">Horde of Notions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. On the other hand, there’s the Flamekin, a mono-red variety, featuring live-fast, die-young cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nova Chaser" href="#" target="_blank">Nova Chaser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interestingly, the Elementals of <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/ecl" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em></a> take inspiration from both variants, adding key redundancy with utility pieces, as well as many more strong enters-the-battlefield (ETB) effects. And if there’s one thing modern Magic design has done a lot of recently, it’s multiplying ETB effects. As a result, this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mass of Mysteries" href="#" target="_blank">Mass of Mysteries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander deck tech will revolve around creatures that live fast, die young, and leave an impact.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how can we build around evoke, when our creatures will barely be around? And how do we amass an offense?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mass of Mysteries"></div></div>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mass of Mysteries" href="#" target="_blank">Mass of Mysteries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mass of Mysteries" href="#" target="_blank">Mass of Mysteries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a creature with a decent rate, a 5/5 for five mana with first strike, vigilance, and trample, although requiring all five colors means that casting it on-curve is unlikely. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The key ability is that it grants another target Elemental we control myriad until the end of the turn. Myriad means that, when the creature attacks, it makes a token copy for each other opponent that's attacking that player. This seems to work nicely with evoke, as most evoke creatures have abilities that trigger when they enter or leave the battlefield.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The problem is…evoke also means our creatures die right after they ETB. So, how do we get them to live long enough to attack?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s where the rest of the deck comes in.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mass of Mysteries" href="#" target="_blank">Mass of Mysteries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First and foremost, we need to decide which Elementals we want to include. With all five colors at our fingertips, there are a wide range of possibilities. Even refining the search to only those with evoke gives more than 30 options. As a result, we want to narrow the evoke Elementals to those who we would want to cast as spells for the evoke cost, looking at them as sorceries with upside.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulldrifter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wistfulness"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One category we’re looking for is card draw. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and its cousin <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Nulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are clear additions, digging us a couple cards deep for minimal cost. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wistfulness" href="#" target="_blank">Wistfulness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wavesifter" href="#" target="_blank">Wavesifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> loot and investigate, respectfully, sowing some newer ways that blue and green draw cards nowadays.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ingot Chewer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shriekmaw"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another category we’re looking for is removal. Some are specific in what they remove, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wispmare" href="#" target="_blank">Wispmare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ingot Chewer" href="#" target="_blank">Ingot Chewer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will usually find juicy targets. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aethersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Aethersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solitude" href="#" target="_blank">Solitude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are solid answers to a variety of threats, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shriekmaw" href="#" target="_blank">Shriekmaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has long been the poster child for this sort of role, inheriting that title from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nekrataal" href="#" target="_blank">Nekrataal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sundial of the Infinite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodline Bidding"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s where we have to deal with the elephant-like-creature in the room: we need ways to keep our creatures around and/or get them back, in order to use them with our commander’s myriad ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sundial of the Infinite" href="#" target="_blank">Sundial of the Infinite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the first place to look, as ending our turn with the delayed sacrifice trigger on the stack lets us keep our Elementals and copy them next turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodline Bidding" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodline Bidding</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us use the bodies that are out to reduce the cost while bringing back a huge board and triggering all the ETBs!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Risen Reef"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yarok, the Desecrated"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While we’re triggering all of these ETBs, we could use some ways to multiply them, as well as other Elementals that can trigger them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Risen Reef" href="#" target="_blank">Risen Reef</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flamekin Harbinger" href="#" target="_blank">Flamekin Harbinger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are potent effects to trigger early and get our game going. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yarok, the Desecrated" href="#" target="_blank">Yarok, the Desecrated</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roaming Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Roaming Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> make our deck go from quirky silliness to legitimate threat in a heartbeat. They also stack, so we can multiply our triggers and really go nuts.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flamebraider"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Visits"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being in five colors, however, we need to be careful not to be too greedy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flamebraider" href="#" target="_blank">Flamebraider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> complements the existing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smokebraider" href="#" target="_blank">Smokebraider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, giving us another mana-creating creature ("mana dork"). <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Visits" href="#" target="_blank">Three Visits</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also work well with our Forest-heavy manabase, fetching up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ketria Triome" href="#" target="_blank">Triomes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overgrown Tomb" href="#" target="_blank">Shocklands</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a Forest subtype.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Ziggurat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abundant Countryside"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition to the Triomes and Shocks, we can use lands that make any color, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Ziggurat" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Ziggurat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unclaimed Territory" href="#" target="_blank">Unclaimed Territory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to fix our mana. We can feel comfortable using these because most of our spells are creatures. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primal Beyond" href="#" target="_blank">Primal Beyond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and its new friend <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abundant Countryside" href="#" target="_blank">Abundant Countryside</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, both work with Elementals and help to fix our mana with upside.</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mass of Mysteries" href="#" target="_blank">Mass of Mysteries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As with many ETB-based decks, like Blink decks and Bounce decks, we’re looking to accrue advantage over the course of the game. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Card advantage itself doesn’t win games, but multiplying removal, card draw, and board state create inevitability, which means that we can eventually overwhelm our opponents by just doing what we’re already doing. It’s a similar concept to sports teams that rely on defense and reducing opportunities for opponents’ offenses.</span></p>
<h2>Mass of Mysteries Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Mass of Mysteries Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Mass of Mysteries
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Aethersnipe
*1 Bloom Tender
*1 Briarhorn
*1 Catharsis
*1 Deceit
*1 Emptiness
*1 Endurance
*1 Faeburrow Elder
*1 Faultgrinder
*1 Flamebraider
*1 Flamekin Harbinger
*1 Foundation Breaker
*1 Fury
*1 Glarewielder
*1 Grief
*1 Ingot Chewer
*1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
*1 Jubilation
*1 Lamentation
*1 Maelstrom Wanderer
*1 Meadowboon
*1 Mulldrifter
*1 Nevermaker
*1 Night Incarnate
*1 Nulldrifter
*1 Obeka, Brute Chronologist
*1 Offalsnout
*1 Omnath, Locus of the Roil
*1 Reveillark
*1 Risen Reef
*1 Roaming Throne
*1 Shimmercreep
*1 Shriekmaw
*1 Slithermuse
*1 Smokebraider
*1 Solitude
*1 Soul of Migration
*1 Spitebellows
*1 Subtlety
*1 Vibrance
*1 Wavesifter
*1 Wispmare
*1 Wistfulness
*1 Yarok, the Desecrated
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 Sundial of the Infinite
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Discontinuity
*1 Glorious End
*1 Hurkyl&#039;s Final Meditation
*1 Time Stop
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Legion Loyalty
*1 Reflections of Littjara
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Bloodline Bidding
*1 Farseek
*1 Kindle the Inner Flame
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Three Visits
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Abundant Countryside
*1 Ancient Ziggurat
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Cascading Cataracts
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 City of Brass
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*2 Forest
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Indatha Triome
*2 Island
*1 Jetmir&#039;s Garden
*1 Ketria Triome
*1 Mana Confluence
*2 Mountain
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Path of Ancestry
*2 Plains
*1 Primal Beyond
*1 Raugrin Triome
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Secluded Courtyard
*1 Spara&#039;s Headquarters
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Stomping Ground
*2 Swamp
*1 Temple Garden
*1 The World Tree
*1 Unclaimed Territory
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Zagoth Triome
*1 Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elementals, like their art, are a fun mess of different abilities that can be mixed and matched into a variety of fun combinations. You can focus on one or two colors or embrace the rainbow with any of a few different commanders, picking and choosing your favorites.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you build Elementals? And how do you differentiate them from Incarnations?</span></p>


elemental commander

All The Value With Ashling, the Limitless - Commander Deck Tech

Decyphering the New Elemental Commander Mass of Mysteries