<p style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragost, Deft Gastronaut" href="#" target="_blank">Ragost, Deft Gastronaut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.zackstella.com/">Zack Stella</a></p>
<p>I could go for a lobster roll right now...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roll-Roll-Roll-Roll"></div></div>
<p>Welcome once again to <em>Fire and Ice</em>! This is the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article! As a reminder, the math that supports this series is detailed in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/fireicescoremath">this article</a>.</p>
<p>EDHREC, of course, has a ton of data. We'll draw conclusions from that data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight about new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.</p>
<p>Today, we're focusing on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragost, Deft Gastronaut" href="#" target="_blank">Ragost, Deft Gastronaut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This Lobster Citizen is the 88th most popular commander on EDHREC, and is undeniably cool. They're the latest in a long line of Boros (<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>) artifact commanders, but this time with a nautical twist!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragost, Deft Gastronaut"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragost, Deft Gastronaut" href="#" target="_blank">Ragost, Deft Gastronaut</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div id="attachment_192977" style="width: 999px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-28.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-192977" class="size-full wp-image-192977" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-28.png" alt="What's Hot and What's Not for Ragost, Deft Gastronaut?" width="989" height="550" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-28.png 989w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-28-300x167.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-28-768x427.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 989px) 100vw, 989px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-192977" class="wp-caption-text">What's Hot and What's Not for Ragost, Deft Gastronaut?</p></div>
<p>For <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>, Ragost is a 2/2 Lobster Citizen. They turn all of our artifacts into Foods, meaning that we can pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> them, and sacrifice them to gain three life. We can also pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> Ragost, and sacrifice a Food to deal three damage to each opponent. Also also, Ragost becomes untapped at the beginning of each end step if we gained life that turn.</p>
<p>That's a lot of abilities for just two mana! In summary, Ragost makes everything Food, lets us weaponize Food to whittle away opposing life totals, and can do so each turn if we're gaining life consistently. This super strong text box has led Ragost to be the most popular Boros artifact commander!</p>
<p>Among Ragost's most popular cards are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weapons Manufacturing" href="#" target="_blank">Weapons Manufacturing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (84% inclusion), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nuka-Cola Vending Machine" href="#" target="_blank">Nuka-Cola Vending Machine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (79% inclusion), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Manufactor" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Manufactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (79% inclusion).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Weapons Manufacturing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nuka-Cola Vending Machine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Academy Manufactor"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Ragost Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gleaming Splendor" href="#" target="_blank">Gleaming Splendor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 14.16</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gleaming Splendor"></div></div>
<p>Gleaming Splendor's 14.16 is among the highest Fire Scores we've ever seen in this series, and it's easy to see why. This enchantment is a fantastic, powerful card that just so happens to synergize beautifully with our commander.</p>
<p>We'll be making tons of Treasure tokens and drawing a few extra cards, all for the low, low cost of <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-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. It's amazing how much value this two-drop can provide. The Treasures that Gleaming Splendor makes will also trigger effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ingenious Artillerist" href="#" target="_blank">Ingenious Artillerist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leonin Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Leonin Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, keeping our wheels spinning.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Getaway Barrel" href="#" target="_blank">Getaway Barrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 6.57</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Getaway Barrel"></div></div>
<p>This artifact is a perfect target to sacrifice with our commander's <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> ability. If we take that game action, we can ping our opponents for three damage and grab a powerful creature from the top of our deck.</p>
<p>We may occasionally whiff with this card, but the chance at paying just <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-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> for a curve-topping creature is too enticing to pass up! Plus, with creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myr Retriever" href="#" target="_blank">Myr Retriever</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on our side, we can crack this barrel multiple times per game.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor" href="#" target="_blank">Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 4.45</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor"></div></div>
<p>This is a damage doubler for our commander. It does cost a good bit of mana (total of <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-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to cast and equip), but this Equipment does provide some value upon entering the battlefield. I'd rather play this than something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gratuitous Violence" href="#" target="_blank">Gratuitous Violence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because of that ETB effect.</p>
<p>This Hammer does have a second effect, letting us pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and discard it to get a mini-wipe like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyroclasm" href="#" target="_blank">Pyroclasm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This won't be relevant often, but I'm all for cards that give us options!</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Belladonna Took" href="#" target="_blank">Belladonna Took</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 4.04</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Belladonna Took"></div></div>
<p>This is another fantastic two-drop from the recent <em>Hobbit</em> set. We'll be making tons of Clues, Foods, and Treasures to keep Ragost well-fed, meaning we'll often get all three of Belladonna's abilities to trigger! It's nice that we only need one token to enter to gain a life, as that'll allow us to consistently untap Ragost!</p>
<p>It's a shame that her top-end ability just puts a +1/+1 counter on each of our creatures, as we're not often going to win through combat. It's certainly not a bad thing, as having a beefier board of creatures is never bad, but we're often aiming to win through noncombat damage.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hawkeye&#039;s Bow" href="#" target="_blank">Hawkeye&#039;s Bow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 3.96</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hawkeye&#039;s Bow"></div></div>
<p>This one-drop Equipment basically allows Ragost to ping our opponents for four damage instead of three. That cuts the number of activations of our commander needed for victory from 14 to 10! We'll, of course, have other pingers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Weftstalker Ardent" href="#" target="_blank">Weftstalker Ardent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that contribute to our game plan. But, this Equipment does a good bit to accelerate our clock.</p>
<p>This Equipment doesn't have many good creatures in our list to attach itself to other than our commander, so pilots should be aware that putting the Bow on Ragost will likely attract opposing removal.</p>
<h2>What's Icy for Ragost Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lifelink" href="#" target="_blank">Lifelink</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.12</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lifelink"></div></div>
<p>This one-mana enchantment allows Ragost to gain us life whenever they ping our opponents, creating a simple way to untap our commander. This combination of cards will let us gain 27 life per turn rotation, assuming we've got <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and three artifacts lying around to activate our commander's ability. That's fantastic, and can really let us run away with the game.</p>
<p>But, much like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hawkeye&#039;s Bow" href="#" target="_blank">Hawkeye&#039;s Bow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this enchantment puts a sizable target on our commander's back. Lifelink will go directly to the graveyard once Ragost is removed, and pilots that are cutting this card have likely become frustrated by this fact. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basilisk Collar" href="#" target="_blank">Basilisk Collar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nice replacement, as the Equipment will stick around even if Ragost doesn't.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.12</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Solemn Simulacrum"></div></div>
<p>The Sad Robot is not a very good card. It does a little bit of everything we want, and is even a good sacrifice target for our commander, but <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is a lot to ask for a basic land on the field and a card in our hand.</p>
<p>I'd rather play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ichor Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Ichor Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycosynth Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Mycosynth Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> than this card. Solemn Simulacrum just isn't good enough anymore.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith" href="#" target="_blank">Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.11</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith"></div></div>
<p>It's neat to make some disposable artifacts whenever we play a land, but Ragost decks aren't exactly vomiting lands onto the field. Pilots would rather ramp with Treasure tokens than lands, so Toggo will probably make less than half a dozen Rock tokens over the course of a game.</p>
<p>While Toggo is great in his own list, he's an easy cut from a Boros deck like this one.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Apothecary White" href="#" target="_blank">Apothecary White</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.10</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Apothecary White"></div></div>
<p>It's interesting to see Apothecary White declining in popularity, because it seems like exactly the kind of card that Ragost pilots would want. It makes disposable artifact tokens, and lets us tap our artifacts to go wide and make as many blockers as our heart desires.</p>
<p>It's possible that this creature's mana cost of <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-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is too much to ask, but beyond that I'm puzzled! If you know why this card is seeing less play recently, please let me know in the comments.</p>
<h2>What's in a Ragost, Deft Gastronaut Deck?</h2>
<p>Here's a Ragost deck with all of their hot cards included and all of their cold cards excluded:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fire and Ice - Ragost, Deft Gastronaut" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ragost, Deft Gastronaut
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Basilisk Collar
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Caduceus, Staff of Hermes
*1 Getaway Barrel
*1 Hawkeye&#039;s Bow
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Implement of Improvement
*1 Krark-Clan Ironworks
*1 Lembas
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor
*1 Mycosynth Wellspring
*1 Nimblewright Schematic
*1 Nuka-Cola Vending Machine
*1 Nutrient Block
*1 Prized Statue
*1 Scrapheap
*1 Servo Schematic
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Transmutation Font
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Academy Manufactor
*1 Astrid Peth
*1 Belladonna Took
*1 Crime Novelist
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Goblin Engineer
*1 Haliya, Guided by Light
*1 Illustrious Wanderglyph
*1 Ingenious Artillerist
*1 Junk Diver
*1 Leonin Elder
*1 Loyal Apprentice
*1 Myr Retriever
*1 Ratchet, Field Medic // Ratchet, Rescue Racer
*1 Reckless Fireweaver
*1 Sami, Wildcat Captain
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Stridehangar Automaton
*1 Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender
*1 The Gaffer
*1 Weftstalker Ardent
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Authority of the Consuls
*1 Descent into Avernus
*1 Gleaming Splendor
*1 Sheltered by Ghosts
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Spirit Loop
*1 Weapons Manufacturing
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Big Score
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Dispatch
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Unexpected Windfall
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation
*1 The Battle of Bywater
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Tezzeret, Cruel Captain
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*9 Mountain
*10 Plains
*1 Rugged Prairie
*1 Rustvale Bridge
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Treasure Vault
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Kooky, off-kilter creature types are what makes <em>Magic</em> magic. Ragost is a neat card, but I doubt they'd be nearly as popular if they were just a Human Artificer instead of being a Lobster Citizen. Flavorful designs are good designs, and I truly hope we see more silly type lines in the future.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Reality Chip"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Holy Cow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Melek, Izzet Paragon"></div></div>
<p>What's your favorite creature type combination in <em>Magic</em>? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll be back next week with another <em>Fire and Ice</em>!</p>


Fire and Ice: Which Cards Are Hot and Cold for Ragost, Deft Gastronaut?

Fire and Ice: Which Cards Are Hot and Cold for Arcum Dagsson?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mycotyrant" href="#" target="_blank">The Mycotyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.chasestoneart.com/">Chase Stone</a></em></p>
<p>Fire and Ice? I thought you said acquire mice...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Acquire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mouse"></div></div>
<p>Welcome once again to <em>Fire and Ice</em>! This is the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article!</p>
<p>EDHREC, of course, has a ton of data. We'll draw conclusions from that data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight about new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.</p>
<p>Today, we're focusing on The Mycotyrant. This commander currently sits as the 264th most popular commander on EDHREC, with 9,156 decks to its name. Much like the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1dRBWyf6z8">Globglogabgalab</a>, the Mycotyrant loves knowledge. So, let's see what this yeast of thoughts and minds can do!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Mycotyrant"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mycotyrant" href="#" target="_blank">The Mycotyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div id="attachment_191591" style="width: 999px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-26.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-191591" class="size-full wp-image-191591" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-26.png" alt="What's Hot and What's Not for The Mycotyrant" width="989" height="550" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-26.png 989w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-26-300x167.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-26-768x427.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 989px) 100vw, 989px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-191591" class="wp-caption-text">What's Hot and What's Not for The Mycotyrant</p></div>
<p>We can cast this creature for <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-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>. The Elder Fungus has trample and a statline equal to the number of creatures we control that are Fungi or Saprolings (including itself). Additionally, at the end of each of our turns, this big guy lets us create a 1/1 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fungus|TLCI|7" href="#" target="_blank">Fungus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> token for each time a permanent card was put into our graveyard on that turn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fungus|TLCI|7"></div></div>
<p>Pilots often seek to mill themselves out aggressively, creating a huge Voltron threat and flooding the board with 1/1s too. Because we're in Golgari, this commander also provides us with access to some of the best graveyard synergies in the whole format!</p>
<p>Among <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mycotyrant" href="#" target="_blank">The Mycotyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s most popular cards are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skull Prophet" href="#" target="_blank">Skull Prophet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (65% inclusion rate), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mycoloth" href="#" target="_blank">Mycoloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (60% inclusion rate), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cankerbloom" href="#" target="_blank">Cankerbloom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (61% inclusion rate).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skull Prophet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mycoloth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cankerbloom"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Mycotyrant Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cauldron of Essence" href="#" target="_blank">Cauldron of Essence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 12.55</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cauldron of Essence"></div></div>
<p>Wow! This artifact has a super high Fire Score. This three-drop can drain our opponents' life totals, cause us to descend an extra time each turn, and even bring back whatever powerful creatures we mill over in the pursuit of Fungi.</p>
<p>We can get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style effects for cheaper, but having such an effect stapled onto a permanent that can reanimate stuff for a reasonable rate is just gravy.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mole Man, Moloid Master" href="#" target="_blank">Mole Man, Moloid Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 8.73</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mole Man, Moloid Master"></div></div>
<p>This three-drop is another fantastic fit for Mycotyrant decks. He lets us make use of the lands we dump into the bin, while also letting us mill even more cards through the tokens he creates. Those tokens can make for good sacrifice fodder, too.</p>
<p>If we pair this Human Villain with a fetch land or something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wasteland" href="#" target="_blank">Wasteland</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then we'll really be in the money.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Researcher" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Researcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 8.60</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grave Researcher"></div></div>
<p>This creature is a bit slow for my taste. It requires an investment of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" 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 class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, some life points, and asks us to wait a turn before we can do anything with this creature.</p>
<p>Sure, it's neat that we can surveil once at the beginning of our upkeep, but I'd rather get more immediate benefit when I pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" 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> (plus another <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and some life down the line).</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return of the Mole Man" href="#" target="_blank">Return of the Mole Man</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 5.70</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return of the Mole Man"></div></div>
<p>Each of this enchantment's two abilities is stellar. First off, we can fill our 'yard to the brim when we hit our land drops. In a deck like this, we'll be dropping lands consistently and therefore stocking our trash pile high.</p>
<p>Then, when we've got a super big bin and fewer lands to play, we can invest <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-5" 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> to make a boatload of tokens that'll mill us even more quickly. Six mana is admittedly a high price tag, but we're in a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-based deck! We'll be just fine.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immoral Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Immoral Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 3.39</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Immoral Bargain"></div></div>
<p>The Fungi that our commander makes are disposable. In fact, we'll often want to get rid of them to trigger our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Species Specialist" href="#" target="_blank">Species Specialist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Three mana is already the standard rate to get rid of one nonland permanent (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and others), so paying the same amount of mana to essentially wipe our opponents' boards is pretty sweet.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vastlands Scavenger" href="#" target="_blank">Vastlands Scavenger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 2.84</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vastlands Scavenger"></div></div>
<p>This is a real head-scratcher. Yes, a three-mana 4/4 with deathtouch is technically above rate. But, that's not really relevant in our 40-life, multiplayer format. Then, if we want to cast the instant that this creature comes with, we need to spend a total of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-5" 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-g" 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>! That's crazy, especially given the fact that we can only reanimate a creature from the seven cards that we mill. If I cast Bind to Life and whiff, I might just concede on the spot...</p>
<p>I'd rather play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bramble Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Bramble Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> than this creature. But, truth be told, I don't think that either has a spot in optimized Mycotyrant lists.</p>
<h2>What's Icy for Mycotyrant Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slimefoot, the Stowaway" href="#" target="_blank">Slimefoot, the Stowaway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -2.08</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slimefoot, the Stowaway"></div></div>
<p>It's cute that this Fungus makes Saprolings, as both creature types count towards our commander's power and toughness. But, we don't have much Saproling synergy in our 99.</p>
<p>This creature operates below maximum effectiveness here, and will often act as a very bad Blood Artist instead of a neat value engine. Slimefoot is a better fit in the command zone of its own deck.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akawalli, the Seething Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Akawalli, the Seething Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.94</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akawalli, the Seething Tower"></div></div>
<p>At its best, this creature is a 7/7 with menace and trample for 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-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>. But it doesn't do much for us beyond attacking effectively. Akawalli doesn't mill cards or make tokens, meaning it doesn't fit with our game plan very well.</p>
<p>Plus, while seven power and toughness seems like a lot, this card was clearly designed to be more of a threat in Limited than in Commander. In our format, it can be blocked and killed pretty easily.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sporecrown Thallid" href="#" target="_blank">Sporecrown Thallid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.94</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sporecrown Thallid"></div></div>
<p>Two mana for a +1/+1 anthem isn't bad at all! In fact, there are very few anthems in Commander that eclipse this rate (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flowering of the White Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Flowering of the White Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes to mind).</p>
<p>But, because the Fungus tokens that our commander makes can't block, we lose half of this Thallid's appeal. We'll usually be trying to kill our opponents with commander damage regardless, so I think it's safe to cut this creature if you want to make room for some shiny new cards.</p>
<h2>What's in a Mycotyrant Deck?</h2>
<p>Here's a Mycotyrant deck that has all of its hot cards and none of its cold cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fire and Ice - The Mycotyrant" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Mycotyrant
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Altar of Dementia
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Cauldron of Essence
*1 Hedge Shredder
*1 Perpetual Timepiece
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Aftermath Analyst
*1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
*1 Brightcap Badger // Fungus Frolic
*1 Broodrage Mycoid
*1 Cankerbloom
*1 Deathcap Marionette
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Golgari Grave-Troll
*1 Golgari Thug
*1 Grave Researcher // Reanimate
*1 Hermit Druid
*1 Icetill Explorer
*1 Insidious Fungus
*1 Millikin
*1 Mirkwood Bats
*1 Mole Man, Moloid Master
*1 Mycoloth
*1 Nemata, Primeval Warden
*1 Nyx Weaver
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Six
*1 Skull Prophet
*1 Splinterfright
*1 Stinkweed Imp
*1 Stitcher&#039;s Supplier
*1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
*1 Tendershoot Dryad
*1 Underrealm Lich
*1 Vastlands Scavenger // Bind to Life
*1 Wight of the Reliquary
*1 World Shaper
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Beastmaster Ascension
*1 Cemetery Tampering
*1 Crawling Infestation
*1 Deadbridge Chant
*1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc // Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun
*1 Insidious Roots
*1 Moldervine Reclamation
*1 Out of the Tombs
*1 Return of the Mole Man
*1 Ripples of Undeath
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*1 Beast Within
*1 Fungal Rebirth
*1 Grisly Salvage
*1 Lethal Scheme
*1 Putrefy
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Dread Return
*1 Fungal Sprouting
*1 Immoral Bargain
*1 Lich-Knights&#039; Conquest
*1 Life from the Loam
*1 Rise of the Witch-king
*1 Squirming Emergence
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dakmor Salvage
*1 Deathcap Glade
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*10 Forest
*1 Golgari Rot Farm
*1 Llanowar Wastes
*1 Necroblossom Snarl
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*9 Swamp
*1 Tainted Wood
*1 Temple of Malady
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Twilight Mire
*1 Underground Mortuary
*1 Undergrowth Stadium
*1 Woodland Cemetery
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I do really miss <em>Ixalan</em>. Each of the factions in the set is super interesting, and the story wasn't half bad this time around either. We will get some nautical nonsense next year with the release of <em>Nauctis: The Sunken Realm</em>, so here's hoping it's as cool as <i>Lost Caverns of Ixalan </i>was<em>.</em></p>
<p>What was your favorite faction in Ixalan? Did your answer change during our last visit to the plane? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll be back soon for more <em>Fire and Ice</em>.</p>


Fire and Ice: Which Cards Are Hot and Cold for The Mycotyrant?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ral, Monsoon Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Ral, Monsoon Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/burmak">Dmitry Burmak</a></em></p>
<p>Monsoon season? That's good, we've been in dire need of some rain anyways!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Acid Rain"></div></div>
<p>Welcome once again to <em>Fire and Ice</em>! This is the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article.</p>
<p>EDHREC, of course, has a ton of data. We'll draw conclusions from that data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight into new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.</p>
<p>It's that time again, so we'll be focusing on a <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bracket 5 (a.k.a. cEDH)</a> commander in this article. Today's edition is about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ral, Monsoon Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Ral, Monsoon Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a super cool flip card from <em>Modern Horizons 3</em>. Ral has been gaining steam recently, and has proved himself to be a super powerful commander. Let's see what this one-time guild leader can do.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ral, Monsoon Mage"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ral, Monsoon Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Ral, Monsoon Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div id="attachment_190798" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-15.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-190798" class="wp-image-190798 size-large" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-15-1024x452.png" alt="What's Hot and What's Not for Ral, Monsoon Mage?" width="1024" height="452" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-15-1024x452.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-15-300x133.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-15-768x339.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-15.png 1245w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-190798" class="wp-caption-text">What's Hot and What's Not for Ral, Monsoon Mage?</p></div>
<p>For <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-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Ral is a 1/3 Human Wizard. He reduces the cost of our instant and sorcery spells by <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. Additionally, when we cast an instant or sorcery, we flip a coin. If we win the flip, we get to flip Ral into a super powerful planeswalker that enters the battlefield with two loyalty, plus one additional loyalty counter for each instant or sorcery we've cast that turn. We can then +1 Ral to reduce the cost of our spells by <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> again, -2 him to deal two damage divided as we choose among up to two targets (and probably draw a card), and -8 Ral to get a whole bunch of free spells from the top of our deck.</p>
<p>Players often try to storm off before flipping Ral, stacking a whole bunch of spells up before letting any of the coin flips go off. This allows for an immediate activation of the planeswalker's ultimate ability. Pilots make good use of Ral's cost reduction, stringing together card draw spells and rituals to build up a storm count of at least six before transforming their commander. These decks can win the game quite quickly, and often present lethal to their opponents before they can blink.</p>
<p>Among this commander's most popular cards are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Desperate Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Desperate Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (79% inclusion rate), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Past in Flames" href="#" target="_blank">Past in Flames</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (75% inclusion rate), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brain Freeze" href="#" target="_blank">Brain Freeze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (66% inclusion rate).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desperate Ritual"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Past in Flames"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brain Freeze"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Ral Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vision of Love" href="#" target="_blank">Vision of Love</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abandon Attachments" href="#" target="_blank">Abandon Attachments</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Scores of 9.55 and 1.27</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vision of Love"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abandon Attachments"></div></div>
<p>These cards are very similar, and they're both improvements on the classic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tormenting Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Tormenting Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both Vision of Love and Abandon Attachments are card neutral, and don't force us to discard (or sacrifice) anything as an additional cost.</p>
<p>Upon resolving, these spells remove themselves and a discarded card from our hand, replacing them with two cards from our library. This isn't technically "card advantage," but it is great card selection. With our commander on the field, we can cast either of these spells for just one mana. That's a great rate to see two more cards, and we can even dump some spells into our graveyard for later use.</p>
<p>Some players in the Ral cEDH Discord community told me that they'll often sacrifice artifacts instead of discarding cards during Vision of Love's resolution, often preferring to sacrifice tapped mana rocks (or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Great Furnace" href="#" target="_blank">Great Furnace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). This is a fantastic move, and can actually make the spell card-positive. If we sacrifice a spent <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Springleaf Drum" href="#" target="_blank">Springleaf Drum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> after using it to make the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> we need for this spell, it's practically free to cast!</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flashback" href="#" target="_blank">Flashback</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 9.15</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flashback"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of reusing cards in our graveyard...</p>
<p>Flashback is a fantastic spell, letting us pay just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to use the best spell in our 'yard one more time. We can use this to interact with an opponent's spells on the stack, generate more mana, or even draw extra cards. This spell gets better and better as the game goes on, given the inevitable growth of our graveyard's size.</p>
<p>It's also of note that Ral reduces the cost of whatever spell we choose to grant flashback to. That lets us continue benefitting from his mana-saving ability.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hex Magic" href="#" target="_blank">Hex Magic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 7.86</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hex Magic"></div></div>
<p>This is a super powerful card advantage spell, often granting us access to five or more cards for just three mana. That rate is unbeatable, even at sorcery speed. It's better than most of the one-sided wheel effects out there, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valakut Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Valakut Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because we maintain temporary access to the cards that we're getting rid of.</p>
<p>There are tons of cards in Ral lists that allow us to ditch our hand to draw a large number of cards, but this is the only one-sided wheel that allows us to cast the cards that we remove from our hand! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will of the Jeskai" href="#" target="_blank">Will of the Jeskai</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also lets us use the cards we say goodbye to, but it unfortunately also allows our opponents to wheel.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flow State" href="#" target="_blank">Flow State</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 6.63</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flow State"></div></div>
<p>Unless this is the first spell we're casting in a game, we'll be able to place two cards into our hand with its effect. Putting an instant or sorcery spell into our bin is trivial! Other card draw spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stock Up" href="#" target="_blank">Stock Up</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, let us look at more cards. But Flow State's rate of two cards for two mana is subtly more powerful than most other card advantage pieces available to Commander players.</p>
<p>We get shiny, new card draw spells nearly every set these days, so it's not guaranteed that Flow State is a permanent fixture for Ral pilots. But, at least for now, it's a great inclusion in competitive 99s.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hexing Squelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Hexing Squelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 2.77</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hexing Squelcher"></div></div>
<p>What can I add to the discourse about this card that hasn't already been said? It's a lovely way to protect our stuff, and the Goblin depicted in the art is probably a very nice guy!</p>
<p>Seriously, though, we'll usually win by storming off, which involves casting lots of valuable spells. We can use this guy to protect our rituals and card draw spells, letting us continue moving towards repeated activations of Ral's big <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-loyalty-down" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<h2>What's Icy for Ral Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Recoup" href="#" target="_blank">Recoup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.54</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Recoup"></div></div>
<p>A few Ral players told me that this spell is outdated, having been replaced by both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flashback" href="#" target="_blank">Flashback</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorceress&#039;s Schemes" href="#" target="_blank">Sorceress&#039;s Schemes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It is nice, admittedly, that this spell both provides flashback to a spell <em>and</em> has flashback itself. That makes it much easier to put this spell in the graveyard with something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consider" href="#" target="_blank">Consider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as we can still extract some usefulness from it down the line.</p>
<p>But Flashback is an instant and costs <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> less. It's hard to make the case for Recoup under these conditions.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flare of Duplication" href="#" target="_blank">Flare of Duplication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.41</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flare of Duplication"></div></div>
<p>Many Ral lists run 10 or fewer creatures, and pilots aren't often willing to sacrifice their commander for this sort of effect. Flare of Duplication is better suited for cEDH decks with disposable, low-on-board-impact commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh" href="#" target="_blank">Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Flare of Duplication isn't a bad spell by any means, it's just not a great fit in this 99.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Runaway Steam-Kin" href="#" target="_blank">Runaway Steam-Kin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.23</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Runaway Steam-Kin"></div></div>
<p>The Ral players let me know that this creature isn't often targeted with opposing removal spells, as those are usually saved for Ral himself. But, even still, this creature can be a bit too slow. It only gives us mana in bursts of <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-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, forcing us to string together spells in a somewhat awkward way. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birgi, God of Storytelling" href="#" target="_blank">Birgi, God of Storytelling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Electro, Assaulting Battery" href="#" target="_blank">Electro, Assaulting Battery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm-Kiln Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Storm-Kiln Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can give us access to that mana right away, which is much more in line with our game plan.</p>
<h2>What's in a Ral, Monsoon Mage Deck?</h2>
<p>In lieu of our traditional deckbuilding process, I've taken significant inspiration from <a href="https://moxfield.com/users/WeBeenChillin">JankOfJank</a>'s "<a href="https://moxfield.com/decks/nmG_zNiugEeTszW5ojaQrQ">'NASA: The Parker Solar Probe' — Ral, Monsoon Mage: Turbo Storm cEDH</a>" list from the <a href="https://cedh-decklist-database.com/">cEDH Decklist Database</a>. I modified their list slightly, just adding our Fiery cards and removing our Icy cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fire and Ice - Ral, Monsoon Mage" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ral, Monsoon Mage // Ral, Leyline Prodigy
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty
*1 Electro, Assaulting Battery
*1 Gandalf, Goblins&#039; Bane // Flameshape
*1 Hexing Squelcher
*1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
*1 Simian Spirit Guide
*1 Storm-Kiln Artist
*1 Tavern Scoundrel
*1 Treasonous Ogre
*1 _____ Goblin
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abandon Attachments
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Brain Freeze
*1 Deflecting Swat
*1 Demand Answers
*1 Desperate Ritual
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Flashback
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Gut Shot
*1 Invoke Calamity
*1 Lava Dart
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 March of Reckless Joy
*1 Mental Misstep
*1 Mystical Tutor
*1 Opera Love Song
*1 Pact of Negation
*1 Pyretic Ritual
*1 Pyroblast
*1 Red Elemental Blast
*1 Redirect Lightning
*1 Reiterate
*1 Seething Song
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Snap
*1 Tibalt&#039;s Trickery
*1 Twinferno
*1 Untimely Malfunction
*1 Vision of Love
*1 You Find Some Prisoners
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Chrome Mox
*1 Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond
*1 Lotus Petal
*1 Mana Vault
*1 Mox Amber
*1 Mox Diamond
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Vexing Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Dragon&#039;s Desire
*1 Echo of Eons
*1 Flow State
*1 Gamble
*1 Gitaxian Probe
*1 Hex Magic
*1 Hidden Strings
*1 Highway Robbery
*1 Jeska&#039;s Will
*1 Mind&#039;s Desire
*1 Overmaster
*1 Past in Flames
*1 Quiet Speculation
*1 Reckless Impulse
*1 Rite of Flame
*1 Rob the Archives
*1 Romantic Rendezvous
*1 Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn
*1 Shatterskull Smashing // Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass
*1 Solve the Equation
*1 Stock Up
*1 Strike It Rich
*1 Timetwister
*1 Wheel of Fortune
*1 Wheel of Misfortune
*1 Will of the Jeskai
*1 Windfall
*1 Wrenn&#039;s Resolve
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Mystic Remora
*1 Underworld Breach
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Tomb
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 City of Traitors
*1 Command Tower
*1 Fiery Islet
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Gemstone Caverns
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Mountain
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Sandstone Needle
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Volcanic Island
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>As always, these cEDH articles are made possible by some extremely helpful folks on relevant Discord servers. During this writing process, I consulted the players over at the <a href="https://discord.gg/EJJBhqYDcg">Ral Monsoon Mage - cEDH</a> server, using their thoughts to guide my write-up. If you're interested in bringing Izzet spellslinging shenanigans to your next cEDH game, go join the server. Thanks to the Ral players for their help, and thanks to all of you for reading this edition of <em>Fire and Ice.</em></p>


Which Cards Are Hot and Cold for Ral, Monsoon Mage? | Fire and Ice

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, the First Metalbender" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, the First Metalbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/eilenecherie">Eilene Cherie</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome, welcome, welcome to <em>Fire and Ice</em>! This is the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article! For some information on the math that supports this series, check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/introducing-the-math-behind-edhrecs-fire-and-ice-series?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this article</a>.</p>
<p>EDHREC, of course, has a ton of data. We'll draw conclusions from that data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight into new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.</p>
<p>Today, we're focusing on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, the First Metalbender" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, the First Metalbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In honor of the recently released <em>Avatar</em> movie, I wanted to take a look at one of the coolest commanders from the set! She currently sits as the 23rd most popular commander on EDHREC, with nearly 30,000 decks to her name!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toph, the First Metalbender"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, the First Metalbender" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, the First Metalbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div id="attachment_189614" style="width: 999px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-24.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-189614" class="size-full wp-image-189614" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-24.png" alt="What's Hot and What's Not for Toph, the First Metalbender?" width="989" height="550" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-24.png 989w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-24-300x167.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-24-768x427.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 989px) 100vw, 989px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-189614" class="wp-caption-text">What's Hot and What's Not for Toph, the First Metalbender?</p></div>
<p>For <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-r" 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-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Toph is a 3/3 Human Warrior Ally. The card also turns all of our nontoken artifacts into lands (this doesn't inherently provide those artifacts with a mana ability, though). On each of our end steps, she prompts us to earthbend 2, putting two +1/+1 counters on a land we control and turning it into a creature that'll return to the battlefield after dying. Earthbent lands being able to come back to the battlefield is a really big deal, and <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/search/?q=toph%2C%20the%20first">some pilots have built combos around that fact</a>.</p>
<p>Toph pilots blend artifact and land synergies, creating a unique and powerful Naya deck. Avatar cards feature heavily, due to the flavor and power of earthbending, but there are cards from throughout <em>Magic</em>'s history in these lists too! Among this commander's most popular cards are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Great Divide Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Great Divide Guide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (51% inclusion), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zuran Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Zuran Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (also 51% inclusion), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Stasis Coffin" href="#" target="_blank">The Stasis Coffin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (45% inclusion).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Great Divide Guide"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zuran Orb"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Stasis Coffin"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Toph Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Planar Engineering" href="#" target="_blank">Planar Engineering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 11.90</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Planar Engineering"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Explosive Vegetation" href="#" target="_blank">Explosive Vegetation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roiling Regrowth" href="#" target="_blank">Roiling Regrowth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> had a baby! This four-mana ramp spell is a perfect fit for Toph decks. If we sacrifice two lands that we previously earthbent to Planar Engineering, we'll end up grabbing four basics from our library without really getting rid of our on-board lands to do so!</p>
<p>Spells in this vein, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harrow" href="#" target="_blank">Harrow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entish Restoration" href="#" target="_blank">Entish Restoration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will always be great inclusions in Toph's 99. This spell just so happens to grab more lands than most other ramp spells at this mana cost, making it even better. Its super high fire score is not surprising in the slightest.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erode" href="#" target="_blank">Erode</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 7.42</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Erode"></div></div>
<p>Naya decks have access to fantastic removal, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path to Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Path to Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. So it's puzzling to see a suboptimal removal spell like Erode gaining so much popularity.</p>
<p>This instant can target planeswalkers, while Swords and Path cannot, but Erode destroys its target instead of exiling it. That's a pretty big difference, especially with how many graveyard decks are out there. I'm not convinced this spell is worth including.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Germination Practicum" href="#" target="_blank">Germination Practicum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 6.83</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Germination Practicum"></div></div>
<p>Toph decks have no problem creating the mana needed to cast this spell. With that in mind, Germination Practicum can be a great game-ender for pilots that don't want to win with a combo. Our commander already puts +1/+1 counters on our creatures, so this spell is a natural fit for our game plan.</p>
<p>There are certainly more land-centric win conditions available, but Germination Practicum is a great set-it-and-forget-it option.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emil, Vastlands Roamer" href="#" target="_blank">Emil, Vastlands Roamer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 3.85</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emil, Vastlands Roamer"></div></div>
<p>These decks have tons of differently named lands, including nonbasics in our mana base and the artifacts that Toph makes into lands. That allows Emil to <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and create a huge Fractal token. It wouldn't be surprising to create a 10/10 or larger!</p>
<p>The trample that Emil lends to our creatures is nice to have, too. While we won't frequently attack with our transformed lands, it's nice to give them a bit of evasion.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haywire Mite" href="#" target="_blank">Haywire Mite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 2.20</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haywire Mite"></div></div>
<p>If we earthbend this creature, we've got repeatable removal and life gain on demand. This is one of the best creatures to repeatedly target with our commander's end step trigger!</p>
<p>It's also lovely that Haywire Mite costs 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> to cast and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to activate. We couldn't ask for more from an artifact.</p>
<h2>What's Icy for Toph Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Earthbending Lesson" href="#" target="_blank">Earthbending Lesson</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -2.61</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthbending Lesson"></div></div>
<p>We do want to earthbend frequently, but we'll often want other effects to be attached when we do so. Paying four mana to put four +1/+1 counters on a land we control isn't a great rate, even if we can save that land from demise later down the line.</p>
<p>We also don't care too much about the numerical value attached to our earthbending abilities. As long as the creature returns to the battlefield after dying or being exiled, we don't care how many +1/+1 counters it has.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Badgermole" href="#" target="_blank">Badgermole</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Earth Rumble" href="#" target="_blank">Earth Rumble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Scores of -2.16 and -2.18</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Badgermole"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earth Rumble"></div></div>
<p>While these cards do have other effects besides earthbending, we're forced to overpay massively for their effects. Badgermole is a <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>-cost almost-vanilla 4/4 and Earth Rumble is a <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-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-cost fight spell. Badgermole does give our creatures with +1/+1 counters trample, but that doesn't make it worth including when Emil can do so much more (at a lower mana cost)! As for Earth Rumble, there are one-mana fight spells out there. Spending four mana to remove a single creature just isn't justifiable, no matter how on-theme this spell is.</p>
<p>When <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Badgermole Cub" href="#" target="_blank">Badgermole Cub</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, Hardheaded Teacher" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, Hardheaded Teacher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ba Sing Se" href="#" target="_blank">Ba Sing Se</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> exist, it's hard to justify paying this much for mediocre cards that just so happen to earthbend.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haru, Hidden Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Haru, Hidden Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.91</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haru, Hidden Talent"></div></div>
<p>The average Toph deck has a grand total of nine Allies in it, including Toph herself. So, excluding any shenanigans, Haru will top out at earthbending fewer than ten times per game! That's not nearly enough to justify a slot in our 99.</p>
<p>Even if Haru is guaranteed to earthbend at least once per game when our commander hits the board, it's just not good enough. We can and should look elsewhere.</p>
<h2>What's in a Toph, the First Metalbender Deck?</h2>
<p>Here's Toph's average deck on EDHREC, modified to include all of her hot cards and exclude all of her cold cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Toffee" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Toph, the First Metalbender
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Amulet of Vigor
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bender&#039;s Waterskin
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Liquimetal Coating
*1 Liquimetal Torque
*1 Mishra&#039;s Bauble
*1 Mycosynth Lattice
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 The Earth Crystal
*1 The Ozolith
*1 The Stasis Coffin
*1 Zuran Orb
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Ashaya, Soul of the Wild
*1 Avatar Kyoshi, Earthbender
*1 Badgermole Cub
*1 Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender
*1 Bumi, Unleashed
*1 Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
*1 Earthbending Student
*1 Emil, Vastlands Roamer
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Evolution Sage
*1 Great Divide Guide
*1 Haywire Mite
*1 Lotus Cobra
*1 Moraug, Fury of Akoum
*1 Scute Swarm
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sylvan Safekeeper
*1 Tannuk, Memorial Ensign
*1 The Boulder, Ready to Rumble
*1 Tireless Provisioner
*1 Toph, Earthbending Master
*1 Toph, Greatest Earthbender
*1 Toph, Hardheaded Teacher
*1 Toph, the Blind Bandit
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Annie Joins Up
*1 Bitter Work
*1 Earthbender Ascension
*1 Felidar Retreat
*1 Terra Eternal
*1 Terrasymbiosis
*1 The Legend of Kyoshi // Avatar Kyoshi
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Crop Rotation
*1 Cycle of Renewal
*1 Earthshape
*1 Erode
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Origin of Metalbending
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Redirect Lightning
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Farseek
*1 Germination Practicum
*1 Hour of Revelation
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Planar Engineering
*1 Rockalanche
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Ba Sing Se
*1 Canopy Vista
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*7 Forest
*1 Jetmir&#039;s Garden
*1 Jungle Shrine
*4 Mountain
*4 Plains
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Rumble Arena
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Secret Tunnel
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Toph is a great commander, and a great character too. The <em>TLA</em> product release was likely timed to draw players in to the theatrical release, so I'm curious: did you see the new <em>Avatar</em> movie? If so, did you enjoy it? Let me know in the comments, and I'll be back soon with another <em>Fire and Ice</em>!</p>


Toph, the First Metalbender | Fire and Ice

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.jasonrainville.com/">Jason Rainville</a></em></p>
<p>No bad cards? I thought you said no banned cards...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeweled Lotus"></div></div>
<p>Welcome once again to <em>Fire and Ice</em>! This is the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article!</p>
<p>EDHREC, of course, has a ton of data. We'll draw conclusions from that data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight into new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.</p>
<p>It's that time again, so we'll be focusing on a <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets">Bracket 5 (a.k.a. cEDH)</a> commander in this article. Today, we're focusing on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This two-drop is super powerful, and is considered to be one of the strongest competitive deck leaders out there!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div id="attachment_187804" style="width: 999px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-4-6.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-187804" class="wp-image-187804 size-full" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-4-6.png" alt="What's Hot and What's Not for Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy?" width="989" height="550" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-4-6.png 989w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-4-6-300x167.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-4-6-768x427.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 989px) 100vw, 989px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-187804" class="wp-caption-text">What's Hot and What's Not for Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy?</p></div>
<p>For <span class="mana-container-container"><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>, Kinnan is a 2/2 Human Druid. He lets each of our nonland permanents add an extra mana when we activate their <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> mana abilities. He also allows us to spend <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-5" 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> to grab a super strong non-Human creature from the top of our library right onto the battlefield.</p>
<p>Kinnan pilots want to run out a few mana dorks and mana rocks early in the game, generate value with the mana advantage that their commander creates, and go infinite with some infamous combos.</p>
<p>Among the most popular cards for this commander are <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> (74% of decks), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fyndhorn Elves" href="#" target="_blank">Fyndhorn Elves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (79% of decks), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hullbreaker Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hullbreaker Horror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (81% of decks).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrasios, Triton Hero"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fyndhorn Elves"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hullbreaker Horror"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Kinnan Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu" href="#" target="_blank">Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 13.20</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu"></div></div>
<p>This card is fantastic for most every build of Kinnan. For just two mana, this Human Warrior Hero does a ton. He provides "haste" to our creatures to allow our mana dorks to tap for extra mana the turn they hit the field, while also adding two mana to use for activated abilities.</p>
<p>Pseudo-haste is, of course, fantastic for a creature-based deck. Shang-Chi also adds two mana that we can use to activate Thrasios, use our commander's ability, or pay for transmute costs.</p>
<p>Shang-Chi is better in faster versions of Kinnan,that want to flip into spooky creatures or combo off as fast as possible. But, even the slowest versions of this commander should consider including this mana dork.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gene Pollinator" href="#" target="_blank">Gene Pollinator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 3.28</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gene Pollinator"></div></div>
<p>The Kinnan players that I spoke to described this card as "fine." It can be great when played on turn one, because then it acts as another <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birds of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Birds of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But, outside of that dream scenario, it's just a worse version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Springleaf Drum" href="#" target="_blank">Springleaf Drum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They weren't enthused by this creature, and I'm not either.</p>
<p>There are so many fantastic one-drop dorks and rocks out there that it's difficult to justify playing Gene Pollinator. It's neat to say "turn one, I play a Forest and cast Eugene," but that's not good enough to justify playing this creature in such a high-powered deck.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flash Photography" href="#" target="_blank">Flash Photography</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 2.74</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flash Photography"></div></div>
<p>While we're not in as clone-heavy of a meta as we were in the days of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, clones are still super strong in cEDH. Using this spell, we can make copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Remora" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Remora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or other card advantage engines.</p>
<p>If we flip into a particularly potent creature, we can even make a copy of it. Imagine the fun that we can have with two copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consecrated Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Consecrated Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whir of Invention" href="#" target="_blank">Whir of Invention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 1.88</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whir of Invention"></div></div>
<p>Kinnan decks are filled with powerful artifacts. Some of these just make mana, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Talisman of Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Talisman of Curiosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but others are part of game-ending combos, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basalt Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Basalt Monolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div id="129-4131" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
<script id="129-4131" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/embed.js?v=1&uses=%5B%22Kinnan%2C%20Bonder%20Prodigy%22%2C%22Basalt%20Monolith%22%5D&requires=%5B%5D&produces=%5B%22Infinite%20colorless%20mana%22%5D&id=129-4131&color=GU&extraRequirementCount=0"></script></div>
<p>The strength of Whir of Invention lies in its flexibility and its lack of timing restriction. We can cast this spell at any moment, grabbing whichever artifact seems to fit the situation at hand. We can grab a combo piece to win on top of an opponent's attempt, fetch up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The One Ring" href="#" target="_blank">The One Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to blunt a strong combat, or go find an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imposter Mech" href="#" target="_blank">Imposter Mech</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to generate some value.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snapback" href="#" target="_blank">Snapback</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commandeer" href="#" target="_blank">Commandeer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 1.70 and 1.67</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snapback"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commandeer"></div></div>
<p>Although these are "second-tier" free spells, and certainly not as strong as the likes of <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="Force of Negation" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Negation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they're still fantastic cards.</p>
<p>The vast majority of our cards are <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> anyway, meaning that we'll be able to cast these spells for free pretty consistently.</p>
<h2>What's Icy for Kinnan Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nyxbloom Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Nyxbloom Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -2.03</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nyxbloom Ancient"></div></div>
<p>This Elemental is fantastic when we get to flip it off the top of our deck with Kinnan...but it's not great otherwise. Spending <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-g" 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> on a creature that doesn't draw cards or win us the game on the spot is a big risk!</p>
<p>This card's Ice Score isn't that high, meaning that many players are still finding a slot for this in their decks. But with big creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Unagi of Kyoshi Island" href="#" target="_blank">The Unagi of Kyoshi Island</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> coming out recently, it's harder to justify playing Nyxbloom.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret the Seeker" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret the Seeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -2.00</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret the Seeker"></div></div>
<p>This five-mana 'walker is great. Its <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-loyalty-up" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and first <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-loyalty-down" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> abilities are both super useful!</p>
<p>We need to hard-cast Tezzy every time we want to use him. There's no good way to tutor planeswalkers onto the battlefield, and we can't flip into planeswalkers with Kinnan's ability. Tezzeret is great, but only works well in slower Kinnan decks that can extract value from him over multiple turns.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Green Sun&#039;s Zenith" href="#" target="_blank">Green Sun&#039;s Zenith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.66</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Green Sun&#039;s Zenith"></div></div>
<p>This spell has a few things working against it. First off, it's a sorcery. Timing restrictions are not great in cEDH, where flexibility really matters. We also need to pay the full mana value of the creature that we're searching for, while some other spells provide us with a discount. Finally, Green Sun's can't be recast from the graveyard.</p>
<p>There are tons of other options that shore up one (or multiple) of these weaknesses, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archdruid&#039;s Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Archdruid&#039;s Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chord of Calling" href="#" target="_blank">Chord of Calling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature&#039;s Rhythm" href="#" target="_blank">Nature&#039;s Rhythm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's hard to find a spot for GSZ with all of this in mind.</p>
<h2>What's in a Kinnan Deck?</h2>
<p>Here's a Kinnan list that includes all of his Fiery cards and none of his Icy cards. This deck was based heavily on the <a href="https://moxfield.com/decks/Mi4yPy0jFUGPx6pI5x3OVw">NBC (No Bad Cards) Kinnan list</a>, which can be found on the <a href="https://cedh-decklist-database.com/">cEDH Decklist Database</a>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fire and Ice - Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Basalt Monolith
*1 Chrome Mox
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Grim Monolith
*1 Imposter Mech
*1 Lotus Petal
*1 Mana Vault
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Mox Amber
*1 Mox Diamond
*1 Mox Opal
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Talisman of Curiosity
*1 The One Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Clever Impersonator
*1 Consecrated Sphinx
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Drift of Phantasms
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Elvish Spirit Guide
*1 Endurance
*1 Enduring Vitality
*1 Faerie Mastermind
*1 Flesh Duplicate
*1 Fyndhorn Elves
*1 Gene Pollinator
*1 High Fae Trickster
*1 Hullbreaker Horror
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Mockingbird
*1 Nezahal, Primal Tide
*1 Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu
*1 The Cabbage Merchant
*1 The Unagi of Kyoshi Island
*1 Thrasios, Triton Hero
*1 Trophy Mage
*1 Valley Floodcaller
*1 Wan Shi Tong, Librarian
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Borne Upon a Wind
*1 Chain of Vapor
*1 Chord of Calling
*1 Commandeer
*1 Dispel
*1 Disrupting Shoal
*1 Dizzy Spell
*1 Dramatic Reversal
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Force of Negation
*1 Force of Will
*1 Mental Misstep
*1 Mindbreak Trap
*1 Misdirection
*1 Pact of Negation
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Snapback
*1 Sudden Substitution
*1 Swan Song
*1 Whir of Invention
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Copy Artifact
*1 Copy Enchantment
*1 Mirrormade
*1 Mystic Remora
*1 Rhystic Study
*1 Sylvan Library
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Finale of Devastation
*1 Flash Photography
*1 Hidden Strings
*1 Nature&#039;s Rhythm
*1 Transmute Artifact
[/Sorceries]
[Battles]
*1 Invasion of Ikoria // Zilortha, Apex of Ikoria
[/Battles]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Tomb
*1 Barkchannel Pathway // Tidechannel Pathway
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Botanical Sanctum
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 City of Brass
*1 Command Tower
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Forest
*1 Gemstone Caverns
*1 Ipnu Rivulet
*1 Island
*1 Mana Confluence
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Tarnished Citadel
*1 Tropical Island
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Waterlogged Grove
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Yavimaya Coast
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>As with all of our cEDH editions, this article wouldn't have been possible without the help of the fine folks over at the <a href="https://discord.gg/PpM58T9">Kinnan Discord Server</a>. They gave great insight on free spells, "Eugene the Pollinator," and more.</p>
<p>If you're interested in learning more about this commander, please check out their server. And, if you're interested in seeing more Commander data, please come back next week for more <em>Fire and Ice.</em></p>


Fire and Ice: Which Cards Are Hot and Cold for Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy?

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fire and ice