<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alania, Divergent Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Alania, Divergent Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/jsraphael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joshua Raphael</a></span></i></p>
<p>This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alania, Divergent Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Alania, Divergent Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander deck tech will attempt to combine Otter Typal with <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/spellslinger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spellslinger</a> elements to create a tempo deck that plays out a bit like a combo deck. It’s a delicate balance, and it will be unlike any deck we’ve built so far.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alania, Divergent Storm"></div></div>
<p>But first...</p>
<h2>Otter History</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the greatest moments in Otter history <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-ban-list-update-feb-9-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">happened just last week</a>: the unbanning of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lutri, the Spellchaser" href="#" target="_blank">Lutri, the Spellchaser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (albeit not as a companion). Otters haven’t been in <em>Magic</em> for very long, and they have been few and far between. Still, what few Otters have been printed have been powerful and adorable.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lutri, the Spellchaser"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In fact, Otters were introduced as a supported type in arguably the most adorable set, <em>Bloomburrow</em>. In that dual-color-themed set, Otters were the Izzet-colored option. They had a focus on noncreature spells, many of whom shared the evergreen ability prowess. That ability was also stapled onto Otter tokens, making the creatures function like the storm mechanic on a body.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The dependence on noncreature spells creates an interesting problem for an Otter Typal deck. Typal decks need a certain amount of creatures of the type to work together and unlock their Typal synergies, while <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/spellslinger">Spellslinger</a> decks (decks that rely on noncreature spells) need a certain number of noncreature spells. There is limited overlap, so the deck winds up struggling to make sure both strategies are supported.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The unbanning of Lutri provides the type with a couple of intriguing boons. First, Lutri is a commander that cares about instants and sorceries, so it could helm an Otter deck ably. Second, Lutri provides another relevant creature for any Otter deck, sharing the type and synergizing well with the game plan. While we won’t be using Lutri as commander, since there is a better option, Lutri will still serve an important role in the deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we combine Typal and Spellslinger decks? And will it mesh the two well or feel like oil in water?</span></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alania, Divergent Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Alania, Divergent Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a 3/5 for five mana, Alania is an expensive creature with defensive stats. On its base, it’s an awkwardly-costed creature that likely isn’t winning games in combat. That means that its abilities - well, the one ability - needs to be sufficiently strong in order for it to be an effective centerpiece.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And it doesn’t disappoint.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first instant, sorcery, or Otter we cast each turn can be copied for the price of letting an opponent draw a card. If Alania can stay on the field for any duration of time, the value accrued can easily take over the game. Additionally, since Alania specifies “each turn,” we can use other players’ turns to copy our spells, as long as we have instants or spells with flash, so we value those highly.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what kinds of instants are worth it? And what nonlegendary Otters are we looking to copy?</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alania, Divergent Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Alania, Divergent Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Otters, in card or token form, care about instants and sorceries. Some have prowess, while others are merely spellslinging enthusiasts. Admittedly, there are some Otters that predate <em>Bloomburrow</em> and don’t mesh as well with the plan, but are there to shore up numbers and be copied by our commander. The synergies are powerful enough that they’re still worth including.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coruscation Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stormcatch Mentor"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coruscation Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Coruscation Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormcatch Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Stormcatch Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give strong payoffs for casting noncreature spells, with the Mage burning opponents and the Mentor providing a hasty prowess threat. The Mentor also acts as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Electromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Electromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, reducing the cost of our instants and sorceries, which stacks when we can copy it.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stormchaser&#039;s Talent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Otterball Antics"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there are limited offerings for Otter creature cards, there are other ways to make Otters, which is, in some ways, preferable. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormchaser&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Stormchaser&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Standard staple, making a prowess creature, returning an instant or sorcery from grave to hand, and then making an Otter whenever we cast an instant or sorcery. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otterball Antics" href="#" target="_blank">Otterball Antics</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a sorcery our commander can copy, which makes an Otter token and can be flashed back (which counts as casting and can be copied by our commander again).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what are we using to trigger prowess?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pearl of Wisdom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frantic Search"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outside of our Otters, the next biggest nonland card grouping in our deck is card draw. We want to be churning through our deck, using spells that dig us deeper in order to smooth over the different pieces and stack prowess triggers. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pearl of Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Pearl of Wisdom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheap draw spell that cares about Otters, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frantic Search" href="#" target="_blank">Frantic Search</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an effectively free draw spell, which can actually generate mana if our commander is out and able to copy it. When the stars align, these are the types of cards that make the deck exciting.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pongify"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We want our removal to be cheap and able to be copied whenever possible, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pongify" href="#" target="_blank">Pongify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the poster child for that kind of effect, removing threats and replacing them with Apes. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse" href="#" target="_blank">An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is similar, giving the offending player a peace offering in exchange for being a cheap interactive tool. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Offer can also help to protect our Otters when looking cute just isn’t enough deterrent.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Riptide Laboratory"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desolate Lighthouse"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many Otters, our commander included, are Wizards and can be protected with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riptide Laboratory" href="#" target="_blank">Riptide Laboratory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Desolate Lighthouse" href="#" target="_blank">Desolate Lighthouse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, on the other hand, provides us with a card draw engine in the mana base. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While we’re not a dedicated Graveyard deck, we can still use the card filtering, especially when we’re trying to find instants to copy with our commander.</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alania, Divergent Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Alania, Divergent Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our primary win condition is prowess-based aggro. We want to get into the red zone early and often with cheap threats that we then grow. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bria, Riptide Rogue"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stormsplitter"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bria, Riptide Rogue" href="#" target="_blank">Bria, Riptide Rogue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives layers of prowess to our creatures, which stack, and grants unblockablility to a creature for each noncreature we cast. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormsplitter" href="#" target="_blank">Stormsplitter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes hasty copies of itself for each instant or sorcery we cast that go away at end of turn, making a fun minigame. It can really get out of hand fast, going wide in a single turn.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prowess aggro can only get us so far, though, and we do run the risk of getting outclassed by big green decks. The lack of evasion, Bria notwithstanding, means that we need to find other ways of finishing games when we get stonewalled. We can remove singular blockers, but there are other ways to get damage in, which work well with what our commander does.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Price of Progress"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gandalf&#039;s Sanction"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Price of Progress" href="#" target="_blank">Price of Progress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an instant-speed burn spell that blasts each player for the amount of nonbasics they’re running. As an instant, we can copy it with our commander, and we’re not playing many nonbasics to risk hurting ourselves. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gandalf&#039;s Sanction" href="#" target="_blank">Gandalf&#039;s Sanction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another spell that can one-shot an opponent, especially when we copy it with our commander. It deals X damage to a creature, where X is the amount of instants and sorceries in our grave, letting our cantrips set up to a massive turn. I’ve waited a while for a noncreature spell to have trample, and this effectively does, dealing excess damage to the creature’s controller.</span></p>
<h2>Alania, Divergent Storm Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Alania, Divergent Storm Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Alania, Divergent Storm
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Alania&#039;s Pathmaker
*1 Bria, Riptide Rogue
*1 Coruscation Mage
*1 Daring Waverider
*1 Eon Frolicker
*1 Frolicking Familiar // Blow Off Steam
*1 Harnesser of Storms
*1 Kindlespark Duo
*1 Kitsa, Otterball Elite
*1 Lightshell Duo
*1 Lutri, the Spellchaser
*1 Omni-Changeling
*1 Otter-Penguin
*1 Rapid Augmenter
*1 Stormcatch Mentor
*1 Stormsplitter
*1 Taurean Mauler
*1 Tempest Angler
*1 Thieving Otter
*1 Thundertrap Trainer
*1 Valley Floodcaller
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Ral, Crackling Wit
[/Planeswalkers]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Stormchaser&#039;s Talent
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Acidic Soil
*1 Collective Defiance
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Flame Rift
*1 Gandalf&#039;s Sanction
*1 Incendiary Command
*1 Otterball Antics
*1 Pearl of Wisdom
*1 Ponder
*1 Preordain
*1 Searing Rays
*1 Slagstorm
*1 Sundering Stroke
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Firdoch Core
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Big Score
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Cast into the Fire
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Consider
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Fall of the Titans
*1 Flame of Anor
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Izzet Charm
*1 Opt
*1 Pongify
*1 Price of Progress
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Swan Song
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Unexpected Windfall
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Cascade Bluffs
*1 Command Tower
*1 Desolate Lighthouse
*15 Island
*1 Mistrise Village
*15 Mountain
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Riptide Laboratory
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Training Center
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Otters are a relatively new and undersupported type, but they are fun, exciting, and cute. As time goes on, they’ll likely get more support, which will make them a better type and give them more of a focus. Still, merging Typal with Izzet’s most well-known strategy, Spellslinger, creates explosive turns that few other types can match.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Huge attacks and big burn spells make it so we can win games out of seemingly nowhere, as opposed to the massive boards Typal decks usually present. This also makes Otters less likely to get swept away by wrath effects. Oh, and did I mention they’re adorable?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you merge Otters and Spellslinger? And what do you think is the cutest creature type?</span></p>


Building Otter Typal With Alania, Divergent Storm

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/evynfong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evyn Fong</a></em></p>
<p>This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander deck tech is going to attempt to bring the Fae back to their halcyon days.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist"></div></div>
<h2>Faerie History</h2>
<p>Faeries. Once the boogeyman of Standard, the name still strikes fear into the hearts of those who played competitively during the original <em>Lorwyn</em>. Flashy, evasive, and controlling, Dimir’s prodigal insectoid/humanoids expertly balance aggression and controlling elements to make a truly scary opponent. No <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Midsummer Night’s Dreams</a> here, these buggers are the stuff of nightmares…for our opponents.</p>
<p>While individual Faeries do predate <em>Lorwyn</em>, and even have an impressive competitive pedigree, they didn’t really have a consistent throughline until the plane was visited. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud of Faeries" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud of Faeries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was used as a combo piece, but it was more because the ability to untap lands attached to reasonable effects in <em>Urza’s Legacy</em> was absolutely broken in half. Stapling cycling onto it was just gravy.</p>
<p>The Faeries of <em>Lorwyn</em>, however, proved the creature type wasn’t a flash in the pan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterblossom" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterblossom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is considered one of the strongest token producers of all time. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spellstutter Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Spellstutter Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Pauper all-star. Even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scion of Oona" href="#" target="_blank">Scion of Oona</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistbind Clique" href="#" target="_blank">Mistbind Clique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while they may have fallen by the wayside, were dominant in their day, the former providing the deck’s clock and the latter sealing the game away.</p>
<p>Faeries reached their heyday with <em>Lorwyn</em> and <em>Morningtide</em>, but there have been Fae printed since. Eldraine introduced Fae in blue, black, and green, most notably the planeswalker <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Oko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oko</a>. This Sultai color identity has continued into <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/ecl" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em></a>, notably with the printing of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maralen, Fae Ascendant" href="#" target="_blank">Maralen, Fae Ascendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Still, Maralen unites Faeries and Elves, which doesn’t feel like a true expression of either type.</p>
<p>But how do we translate that into Commander success? And can we still honor their playfulness while playing into their competitive pedigree?</p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p>There are <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/faeries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a lot of Faerie commanders</a>, but Obyra is the one that gives the clearest lines to victory. A 2/2 flier for Dimir (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) colors is already decently strong, and flash makes it even better, hearkening back to the days when players could play draw, go and aggro at the same time.</p>
<p>The real show, however, is the triggered ability.</p>
<p>Small fliers can get brick-walled by Dragons and the like, as we saw in articles about <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-bat-typal-with-zoraline-cosmos-caller" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bats</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-spirit-typal-with-millicent-restless-revenant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spirits</a>. So, how do we avoid this? Obyra makes each opponent lose a life whenever a Faerie enters under our control. Notably, this isn’t limited to non-token Fae, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterblossom" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterblossom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and its new functional reprint, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterbloom Bearer" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterbloom Bearer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, trigger it over and over.</p>
<p>Even if we can’t attack, we can make a ton of blockers while presenting a clock.</p>
<p>And if our opponents don’t have big fliers? That’s the stuff dreams are made of.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Faeries may have a reputation as little pranksters, but they provide serious threats. Most have flying, while many also have enters-the-battlefield (ETB) effects and/or flash, enabling them to be playful and mess with opponents’ boards and combat math.</p>
<p>They do, however, tend to have small base stats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Puppeteer Clique"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Vandal"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Puppeteer Clique" href="#" target="_blank">Puppeteer Clique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an example of a Faerie with a powerful ETB. It lets us reanimate an opponent’s creature with haste, exiling it at end of turn. It also happens to have persist, which lets it return to the battlefield a bit smaller if it dies, triggering the ETB again.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Vandal" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Vandal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an example of a cheap, aggressive beater, flashing in on an opponent’s turn, simulating haste, and then growing whenever we draw multiple cards in the same turn.</p>
<p>And we intend to draw some cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Mastermind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nightveil Sprite"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Mastermind" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Mastermind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an ode to one of the most successful Faerie players of all time, <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Yuta_Takahashi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yuta Takahashi</a>. Nicknamed "King of the Faeries," he won two of his three Grand Prix titles with Faeries decks. His invitational card is a flashy flying card draw engine with an activated ability to make each player draw a card.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nightveil Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Nightveil Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a surveilling engine, triggering each time it attacks. As long as there’s a safe target, life totals will drop as we tear through our library.</p>
<p>But what are we digging for?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snap"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aetherize"></div></div>
<p>One of the reasons I love Obyra so much (I even have a build among my personal decks!) is that the triggered ability works well with bounce spells. Several Faeries have self-bouncing abilities, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Impostor" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Impostor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which lets us reuse ETBs.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snap" href="#" target="_blank">Snap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is powerful for much the same reason <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud of Faeries" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud of Faeries</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is: It’s strong enough on its face without untapping lands, but untapping lands in a flash deck is even better.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherize" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, on the other hand, is a major tempo card, punishing opponents for overextending. It can even be cast after combat damage but before the second main phase, for a particularly devastating double-whammy when an opponent attacks another opponent.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Archmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Guardian"></div></div>
<p>While many on Lorwyn consider <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Glen_Elendra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glen Elendra</a>’s existence a prank perpetrated by the Faeries, its protective magic, bestowed by <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Oona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oona</a> herself, is no joke. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a storied history of sacrificing itself to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Negate" href="#" target="_blank">Negate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> opposing spells, often in counters decks that can regrow what it loses by persisting.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> follows in its ancestor’s footsteps, entering with a counter that shrinks it, but being able to lose the counter to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Negate" href="#" target="_blank">Negate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a spell and draw the spell’s controller a card, getting back some of the goodwill lost by countering the spell.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Castle Vantress"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Conclave"></div></div>
<p>As a flash deck, we want to be able to leave mana up and sink that mana into spells and abilities at instant speed. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Castle Vantress" href="#" target="_blank">Castle Vantress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us use our excess mana to dig deeper into the deck and set up our draws. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Conclave" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Conclave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us a secret attacker, letting us beat down after a board wipe while also benefitting from Faerie support, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scion of Oona" href="#" target="_blank">Scion of Oona</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitterblossom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scion of Oona"></div></div>
<p>Our primary plan is to beat down aggressively with small, evasive creatures that are aggressively-costed. We want to win through combat, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterblossom" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterblossom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterbloom Bearer" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterbloom Bearer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scion of Oona" href="#" target="_blank">Scion of Oona</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> providing our most intentional forward-moving pieces. These cards swarm the battlefield early and often, and have formed the backbone of Faerie decks for as long as the type has been competitive.</p>
<p>Even in its heyday, however, there were games that a rush of fliers just couldn’t win. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Obyra, Dreaming Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives the type a way to win through board stalls, by bouncing our own creatures and replaying them to lower life totals. It doesn’t target or deal damage, either, which makes counterplay particularly difficult.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Perplexing Test"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cryptic Command"></div></div>
<p>There are also board-breaking cards in this deck, some of which have a history with the type, and some of which are newer additions.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Perplexing Test" href="#" target="_blank">Perplexing Test</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the few instant-speed mass bounce spells, which works well with our flash ability. It bounces either tokens or nontokens, so we can pick up our nontoken Faeries to replay later, while leaving our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitterblossom" href="#" target="_blank">Bitterblossom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens out to beat down.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptic Command" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptic Command</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a frequent collaborator with Faeries, often tapping down opposing boards and drawing a card to enable an all-out attack, but it can also bounce a Faerie to re-cast with Obyra out or an opposing threat to split attacks or prevent a counterattack. Even the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ability can be useful to protect our board or prevent a nasty game-winning spell!</p>
<h2>Obyra, Dreaming Duelist Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Obyra, Dreaming Duelist Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Obyra, Dreaming Duelist
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Alela, Cunning Conqueror
*1 Archmage of Echoes
*1 Barrow Naughty
*1 Bitterbloom Bearer
*1 Blightwing Bandit
*1 Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft
*1 Cloud of Faeries
*1 Faerie Bladecrafter
*1 Faerie Dreamthief
*1 Faerie Formation
*1 Faerie Harbinger
*1 Faerie Impostor
*1 Faerie Mastermind
*1 Faerie Seer
*1 Faerie Vandal
*1 Flitterwing Nuisance
*1 Glen Elendra Archmage
*1 Glen Elendra Guardian
*1 Glen Elendra Liege
*1 Halo Forager
*1 High Fae Trickster
*1 Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare
*1 Likeness Looter
*1 Malleable Impostor
*1 Mocking Sprite
*1 Nightveil Sprite
*1 Nymris, Oona&#039;s Trickster
*1 Picklock Prankster // Free the Fae
*1 Puppeteer Clique
*1 Quickling
*1 Rankle, Master of Pranks
*1 Scion of Oona
*1 Shadow Puppeteers
*1 Snaremaster Sprite
*1 Sneaky Snacker
*1 Sower of Temptation
*1 Spellscorn Coven // Take It Back
*1 Spellstutter Sprite
*1 Talion&#039;s Messenger
*1 Talion, the Kindly Lord
*1 Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor
*1 Unwelcome Sprite
*1 Vendilion Clique
*1 Voracious Tome-Skimmer
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bitterblossom
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Distant Melody
*1 Stolen by the Fae
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Cryptic Command
*1 Faerie Trickery
*1 Familiar&#039;s Ruse
*1 Glen Elendra&#039;s Answer
*1 Perplexing Test
*1 Run Away Together
*1 Snap
*1 Spell Stutter
*1 Unsummon
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Castle Vantress
*1 Faerie Conclave
*15 Island
*1 Minamo, School at Water&#039;s Edge
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Riptide Laboratory
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*15 Swamp
*1 Three Tree City
*1 War Room
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Faeries are a playful creature type that can mean business when it wants to. Its members have ranged from aggressive beaters, to control enablers, to combo pieces, and everything in between. The type is incredibly versatile, embracing a wide variety of playstyles and builds, while testing the skills and rules knowledge of its controllers with the flash ability.</p>
<p>They truly embrace the adage "Easy to play, impossible to master," offering endless replayability with even the most stock of builds.</p>
<p>But how would you build this flexible type? And which version is your favorite?</p>


Building Faerie Typal With Obyra, Dreaming Duelist

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/eyari" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aldo Dominguez</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Story Spotlight cards represent one of the coolest narrative decisions WOTC has made, putting the narrative-shaping events in players’ hands and providing a beautiful means of summarizing the story for those who can collect them all. One of the more contentious new cards from <em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em> isn’t technically a Story Spotlight card, but it’s something even more beautiful: a card that reflects the way the Multiverse was affected by previous story events. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And just like the event depicted in the art, this card is very impactful, and it has a fitting name: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chronicle of Victory"></div></div>
<p>But is it a new typal staple? And in just how many decks will this Chronicle a Victory? As the resident EDHREC typal master, I'm here to do a bit of analysis.</p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a six-mana legendary artifact. That, in and of itself, limits its usefulness, as Commander has been getting faster and faster as time has gone on. For such an expensive card to be playable, it usually needs to top the curve and win the game. Tapping out for a big spell is a risk. But is Chronicle worth it?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chronicle does have an ability that is a powerful curve-topper: it gives creatures of a type of our choice +2/+2, first strike, and trample. The pump and trample can certainly break board stalls, and first strike can make sure that we have easy attacks and solid defenses. These abilities on a permanent as a static effect means that this card continues to affect the game in a way that most <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overrun" href="#" target="_blank">Overrun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s don’t. But is it worth six mana? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s where the last ability comes in.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition to boosting and adding keywords to creatures of a given type, Chronicle draws its controller a card whenever they cast a spell of the chosen type - notably not just a creature spell, kindred spells work as well. Giving a card draw engine to any creature type in any color is nothing to sneeze at. But at six mana? Again, it limits the usefulness. The deck needs to be casting spells after it comes down, and expecting a six-mana mass pump artifact to survive a table rotation is wishful thinking.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If we can make a lot of mana, however, this just might work. But do we need to work that hard?</span></p>
<h2>What Other Cards Do What <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Does?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obelisk of Urd"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Memorial"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When it comes to gamebreaking permanents, Chronicle has a bit of competition. The first comparison I saw on social media was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Obelisk of Urd" href="#" target="_blank">Obelisk of Urd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which provides the same power/toughness boost for the same mana cost, but can be cast for free with convoke instead of providing abilities or card draw. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Memorial" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Memorial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a similar card, providing abilities that can end games in an expensive legendary artifact shell. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archetype of Imagination" href="#" target="_blank">Archetype of Imagination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another permanent that can be used in a similarly game-ending manner, effectively granting our entire board unblockable (unless opponents' creatures have reach).</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vanquisher&#039;s Banner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hazoret&#039;s Monument"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What none of those cards do, however, is provide the card draw engine. Green has had access to this ability for a while, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guardian Project" href="#" target="_blank">Guardian Project</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primordial Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Primordial Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zendikar Resurgent" href="#" target="_blank">Zendikar Resurgent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> highlighting the offerings. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vanquisher&#039;s Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Vanquisher&#039;s Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a similarly universal draw engine for typal decks, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hazoret&#039;s Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Hazoret&#039;s Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, despite having the word “red” on it, doesn’t have a red pip, so it can grant rummaging to any creature-based deck as well.</span></p>
<h2>Pros of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While each piece of Chronicle has predecessors, combining them together is what makes it different. And the fact that Commander is a singleton format means that even the decks that use similar cards could still use more copies of those effects. And being colorless is another boon, as some colors and colorless typal strategies have difficulty finding card draw engines. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The cost may seem prohibitive, but it could also be a hidden boon.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Typal decks tend to struggle to rebuild after board wipes, especially at the lower <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brackets</a>. While other cards may share its role as a curve-topper, Chronicle also turns top-decked creatures, which could be dead draws in the late game, into a full hand and a fresh board. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pulling double-duty as a card draw engine and a curve-topping finisher gives Chronicle flexibility, ensuring that it’s never a dead draw for decks that ramp or hit their land drops.</span></p>
<h2>Cons of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most prohibitive element of Chronicle is the cost. Unless it’s not being cast on-curve, it’s unlikely that it will draw any cards the turn it comes out. It also doesn’t help smooth draws, which some more-ambitious decks require. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, it wants us to cast multiple spells in a turn in order to draw more cards and gain more value, so the creatures of the type need to be relatively low-cost and the deck needs a solid volume of hits, so the type needs to have a lot of low-costing members.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The other major downside is that fusing a win-con to a card draw engine means that both are vulnerable. Engines and win-cons are red flags, as both tend to either run away with or end the game on the spot. As a result, they attract a ton of removal, and most decks have artifact destruction nowadays, even incidentally. Every creature type with green getting a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reclamation Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Reclamation Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn’t do Chronicle any favors. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So where does Chronicle fit?</span></p>
<h2>Which Commanders Want <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marwyn, the Nurturer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seton, Krosan Protector"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The cleanest fit for Chronicle is with creature types that provide bursts of mana but risk petering out. These decks need to cast multiple spells in a turn and have a low average mana value. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elfball decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marwyn, the Nurturer" href="#" target="_blank">Marwyn, the Nurturer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> come to mind, as do Druid decks, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seton, Krosan Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Seton, Krosan Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Elfball decks tend to want both card draw and anthems, and Chronicle provides both. Seton lets new Druids tap for mana the same turn they enter, so Chronicle can churn through the deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zhulodok, Void Gorger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Traxos, Scourge of Kroog"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Colorless commanders, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zhulodok, Void Gorger" href="#" target="_blank">Zhulodok, Void Gorger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (cascaded spells are still cast, so big Eldrazi draw multiple cards) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traxos, Scourge of Kroog" href="#" target="_blank">Traxos, Scourge of Kroog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Constructs are hard-pressed for options and can make good use of both the pump and the draw aspects. Large Eldrazi occasionally lack the keywords to avoid getting chump-blocked, and Constructs can be too small to threaten large amounts of damage, both of which are ameliorated by the other abilities of Chronicle.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudstone Curio"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Intruder Alarm"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On a more personal note, since Chronicle rewards spells being cast, it works well with bounce spells. In particular, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudstone Curio" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudstone Curio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun combo piece and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Intruder Alarm" href="#" target="_blank">Intruder Alarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can untap the mana dorks, making Chronicle a form of combo exhaust, drawing deep into the deck, if not the whole thing!</span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an intriguing card, and I am definitely a fan. It swings games as soon as it hits, synergizes well with already-powerful cards, and slots into a variety of existing decks. For six mana, it might be a little expensive, but there are plenty of times when it’s worth it!</span></p>
<p>Verdict: a strong card with a few homes, but certainly not the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of typal decks.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what are your thoughts on it? And what decks are you looking to slot it into?</span></p>


Is Chronicle of Victory a New Staple for Typal Commander Decks?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spectral Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Spectral Shift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://johnavonart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Avon</a></em></p>
<div></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to the Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest. I'm back from vacation and ready to go, so let's get right into it!</p>
<p>This is a monthly contest with a different theme each month. Your goal is to build a Commander-legal deck that fulfills the prompt in a creative or unique fashion. At the end of each month, three finalists will be selected for you to vote on.</p>
<p>Whoever gets the most votes will be crowned the winner, although all three finalists receive a prize.</p>
<p>This month we're taking <em>Magic</em>'s creatures and pushing them into unfamiliar territory in the color pie.</p>
<p></div>
<div></p>
<h2>What’s the Contest All About?</h2>
<p>Working within the parameters of the prompt provided below, construct a deck list with your own creative spin. Three chosen finalists will be awarded <a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">store credit to use on Cardsphere</a>.</p>
<p><strong>For November's deck building contest - </strong>build a Commander-legal kindred/typal deck in colors that you wouldn't expect for that creature type.</p>
<p>Decks will be judged on their creativity, originality, and how unexpected their color identity is for the chosen creature type.</p>
<p></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pantlaza, Sun-Favored"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathril, Blade of the Elves"></div></div>
<p>Kindred decks are an iconic part of <em>Magic</em>. The ability to summon classic mythical creatures like Angels and Dragons are a huge draw to the game, and many players' first decks are focused around a single creature type.</p>
<p>Which isn't to say these decks are only for beginners. Some of the most powerful competitive decks throughout <em>Magic</em>'s history have been built around Humans, Elves, and Merfolk.</p>
<p>In Commander, however, this can make a kindred deck predictable and repetitive, especially if you've been playing it for a few years.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Borborygmos Enraged"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nadier, Agent of the Duskenel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mr. Foxglove"></div></div>
<p>One way to work around that problem is to shift the colors of your deck. Merfolk have branched into green in recent sets, opening up the possibility of a Gruul Merfolk deck. Similarly, Elves have gotten more support in black, making a Rakdos or Orzhov Elf deck possible.</p>
<p>Even Dragons, which are present in all five colors, are most commonly played in red decks. What would an Azorius or Bant dragon deck look like?</p>
<p>I took a similar approach when I took apart my Elf deck. I'd tried every commander out there, so I ditched green altogether and turned to the only red Elf, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delina, Wild Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Delina, Wild Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. By targeting Delina herself, I can still swarm the battlefield with Elf tokens that get buffed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shared Animosity" href="#" target="_blank">Shared Animosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adaptive Automaton" href="#" target="_blank">Adaptive Automaton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Patchwork Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Patchwork Banner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Most importantly, board wipes are no longer game-ending disasters. I simply recast my commander and keep attacking.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boros Recruit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tobias, Doomed Conqueror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuki-Onna"></div></div>
<p>But that's just one example. How can you breath new life into an old creature type by pushing it into new colors?</p>
<h2>How To Participate</h2>
<ul>
<li>Brew a Commander-legal deck on <a href="https://archidekt.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archidekt</a> that satisfies the prompt.</li>
<li>Any unreleased cards spoiled during the contest’s duration are allowed.</li>
<li>Silver-bordered and acorn cards, while cool, are not allowed.</li>
<li>Digital-only cards (such as those designed for the Alchemy format on Arena) are not allowed.</li>
<li>Strictly one deck submitted per user.</li>
</ul>
<p>As of a couple months ago, we've also revamped the submission process. Decks must now be submitted on Archidekt via a button on the <a href="https://archidekt.com/contest/17255222">newspost</a>. This will make it easier to view all submissions in a single place. Additionally, it will simplify the process of writing a description by sharing the same text on the submission page and the deck page itself.</p>
<p>You can also comment on individual decks directly from the submission, making those discussions easier to find and track later.</p>
<p>To submit a deck, select the orange button labeled "Submit a deck to this contest" and follow the form prompt. Submissions are accepted until <strong>9:00 pm EST</strong> (UTC -4, currently) on <strong>Wednesday, November 12, 2025</strong>.</p>
<p>Only one submission per user! If you change your mind and want to submit a different deck before submissions close, you may do so by first deleting your submission. To edit your description, you can do so from the deck page itself.</p>
<p>From the eligible submissions, we'll select three finalists with lists that we believe best embody the spirit of the prompt. Deck descriptions are not required but certainly may provide valuable context!</p>
<div></p>
<p>On <strong>Wednesday, November 19, 2025</strong>, we’ll announce three finalists via the Archidekt Discord and a brief article on EDHREC highlighting each deck.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Each finalist will be awarded credit to use on Cardsphere</a>. The value of the credit is in US dollars and depends on the finalist's placement in deck upvotes at the end of the week-long polling period:</p>
<ul>
<li>1st Place Prize - $250</li>
<li>2nd Place Prize - $150</li>
<li>3rd Place Prize - $100</li>
</ul>
<p></div>
<p>Finalists will be contacted via email regarding their winnings within roughly 24 hours following the conclusion of voting on <strong>Wednesday, November 26, 2025</strong>.</p>
<p>Please note, you must have a Cardsphere account in order to receive your winnings. It's quick and free - <a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/signup?referrer=archidekt_contest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">register here</a> if you don't have an account already!</p>
<p>Here are the <a href="https://archidekt.com/contestRules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official contest rules</a>. If you have any questions, feel free to ask here, or join the Archidekt <a href="https://discord.gg/sctEc9Ru36" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public Discord server</a>. We look forward to seeing what you all come up with!</p>


Archidekt Deckbuilding Contest - November 2025

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urgoros, the Empty One" href="#" target="_blank">Urgoros, the Empty One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.daarken.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daarken</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we enter October, it makes sense to lean into a spooky creature type. Specters in <em>Magic</em> art seem to resemble mounted grim reapers, reaping cards from players’ hands using claws, sickles, or any other apparatus that can carve cardboard from a grip like a Thanksgiving turkey.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Ritual"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hypnotic Specter"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Their pedigree goes all the way back to the feared “Hippie” of early <em>Magic</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hypnotic Specter" href="#" target="_blank">Hypnotic Specter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In an era when spells were far more powerful than creatures, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hypnotic Specter" href="#" target="_blank">Hypnotic Specter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was one of the most devastating openings in the game. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A 2/2 flyer with built-in disruption on the first turn often meant doom for players, and, in the wild west of cheating in early <em>Magic</em>, could happen quite often.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Specters find themselves in an intriguing position in multiplayer formats, as discard strategies are often seen as oppressive even though, in the abstract, they’re not very powerful. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similar to single-target removal, answering one threat means other threats go unanswered, and discard doesn’t even let the threats be known. </span>The oppressive perception can also hinder the ability to play politics.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So why play Specters?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The key is to find common ground within the family. Quite a lot of our creatures are legendary and share surnames along with complementary abilities. The patriarch of the family is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urgoros, the Empty One" href="#" target="_blank">Urgoros, the Empty One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the centerpiece of today’s Commander deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urgoros, the Empty One"></div></div>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urgoros, the Empty One" href="#" target="_blank">Urgoros, the Empty One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Urgoros may be known as “the Empty One,” but what he does is make our opponents’ hands empty. Like most Specters, he's a mono-black flyer with a combat trigger that makes an opponent discard a card. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He has a few tricks up the sleeve of his hooded cloak, however, which make him a great leader.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Urgoros is bigger than other Specters, costing about twice as much but rewarding us with about twice the power of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hypnotic Specter" href="#" target="_blank">Hypnotic Specter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Additionally, while most Specters are useless against a "hellbent" opponent (i.e., no cards in hand), Urogoros draws us a card if the opponent can’t discard. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This makes him a card draw engine if we can achieve the right setup.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So what does the right setup look like? Urgoros is deceptively difficult to play in a pod because it can operate like an aggressive deck, but that risks making enemies at the table. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nath of the Gilt-Leaf"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s more fun to play it like the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nath of the Gilt-Leaf" href="#" target="_blank">Nath of the Gilt-Leaf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck a friend of mine ran in the nascent days of EDH: use Group Hug cards to load everyone’s hands and then pick them apart with Specters. I mean…people can’t be mad at you for taking away cards you gave them, right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The key to assuaging concerns about fun and power level with Specters is to make sure you understand why your group has reservations, if they do. For example, some groups will see discard as similar to mill, even if you give them extra cards, because those cards represent fun they can’t have.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urgoros, the Empty One" href="#" target="_blank">Urgoros, the Empty One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Howling Mine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temple Bell"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Group Hug effects are what opens the door for a deck like Specter typal. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Howling Mine" href="#" target="_blank">Howling Mine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temple Bell" href="#" target="_blank">Temple Bell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are typical effects for strategies like this, providing everyone with extra cards every turn.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rankle, Master of Pranks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seizan, Perverter of Truth"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rankle, Master of Pranks" href="#" target="_blank">Rankle, Master of Pranks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seizan, Perverter of Truth" href="#" target="_blank">Seizan, Perverter of Truth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are more unique to black, and they help to advance the game by also lowering life totals.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Megrim"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liliana&#039;s Caress"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of lowering life totals, we want to pack discard payoffs, so our opponents aren’t sitting there hellbent and helpless. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Megrim" href="#" target="_blank">Megrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana&#039;s Caress" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana&#039;s Caress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects make it so that we deal damage when opponents discard cards, helping us have more of a clock than just swinging with small flyers.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doom Blade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Infernal Grasp"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since our creatures are small- to medium-sized flyers, they can get outclassed by Dragons, Sphinxes, and the like. As a result, we need ways to clear a path for our Specters to connect. “Dies to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doom Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Doom Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>” is a common saying for a reason, and we have several analogues: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror" href="#" target="_blank">Terror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Go for the Throat" href="#" target="_blank">Go for the Throat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Grasp" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Grasp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all test opponents’ threat diversity.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cabal Coffers"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cabal Stronghold"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geier Reach Sanitarium"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our nonbasic lands either ramp us or draw cards. The Cabal lands - <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Stronghold" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Stronghold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - give us a big boost for playing Swamps. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Geier Reach Sanitarium" href="#" target="_blank">Geier Reach Sanitarium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Castle Locthwain" href="#" target="_blank">Castle Locthwain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give us a sneaky way to draw cards and, in the case of the former, to trigger <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Megrim" href="#" target="_blank">Megrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects.</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urgoros, the Empty One" href="#" target="_blank">Urgoros, the Empty One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our primary aim is to attack with evasive threats while limiting our opponents’ options and dealing direct damage. We can play politics by feeding opponents cards and removing key permanents…but only when it benefits us.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urgoros, the Empty One" href="#" target="_blank">Urgoros, the Empty One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Urgoros, the Empty One Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Urgoros, the Empty One
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Abyssal Specter
*1 Cairn Wanderer
*1 Changeling Outcast
*1 Dread Specter
*1 Entropic Specter
*1 Fell Specter
*1 Ghostly Changeling
*1 Graveshifter
*1 Guul Draz Specter
*1 Headless Specter
*1 Hollow Marauder
*1 Hollow Specter
*1 Hypnotic Specter
*1 Liliana&#039;s Specter
*1 Moonglove Changeling
*1 Needle Specter
*1 Rankle, Master of Pranks
*1 Reaper of Night // Harvest Fear
*1 Sangromancer
*1 Scrawling Crawler
*1 Scythe Specter
*1 Seizan, Perverter of Truth
*1 Shimian Specter
*1 Shrieking Specter
*1 Silent Specter
*1 Skeletal Changeling
*1 Specter of Mortality
*1 Specter of the Fens
*1 Tainted Specter
*1 The Raven Man
*1 Tourach, Dread Cantor
*1 Universal Automaton
*1 Venomous Changeling
*1 Whispering Specter
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Larceny
*1 Liliana&#039;s Caress
*1 Megrim
*1 Raiders&#039; Wake
*1 Shrieking Affliction
*1 Waste Not
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Anvil of Bogardan
*1 Font of Mythos
*1 Geth&#039;s Grimoire
*1 Ghirapur Orrery
*1 Howling Mine
*1 Otherworld Atlas
*1 Temple Bell
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Dark Deal
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Baleful Mastery
*1 Consuming Corruption
*1 Defenestrate
*1 Defile
*1 Doom Blade
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Infernal Grasp
*1 Murder
*1 Rend Flesh
*1 Terror
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Arch of Orazca
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Cabal Stronghold
*1 Castle Locthwain
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*30 Swamp
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Specters are an iconic creature type, but have historically had a rough go in multiplayer formats. Staying true to a creature type and providing extra cards to discard can help. And it can be fun to be evil sometimes, right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you build Specters? And do you think discard can ever be a palatable strategy in Commander?</span></p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="nTjnMOCs6u"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-ape-typal-commander-with-kibo-uktabi-prince/">Building Ape Typal Commander With Kibo, Uktabi Prince</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building Ape Typal Commander With Kibo, Uktabi Prince&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-ape-typal-commander-with-kibo-uktabi-prince/embed/#?secret=t65vwrIgPv#?secret=nTjnMOCs6u" data-secret="nTjnMOCs6u" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="kq6HRlrJYE"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-ally-typal-with-haru-hidden-talent/">Building Ally Typal with Haru, Hidden Talent</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building Ally Typal with Haru, Hidden Talent&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-ally-typal-with-haru-hidden-talent/embed/#?secret=m3LEPzaENb#?secret=kq6HRlrJYE" data-secret="kq6HRlrJYE" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ge5DqCbQqv"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-ninja-typal-with-taeko-the-patient-avalanche/">Building Ninja Typal With Taeko, the Patient Avalanche</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building Ninja Typal With Taeko, the Patient Avalanche&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-ninja-typal-with-taeko-the-patient-avalanche/embed/#?secret=QLHtS4QJeC#?secret=ge5DqCbQqv" data-secret="ge5DqCbQqv" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


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