Putting up Walls with Invisible Woman in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Space Beleren" href="#" target="_blank">Space Beleren</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.tylerjacobsonart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tyler Jacobson</a></span></i></p>
<h2>What Is the Bracket System?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Commander Bracket system is a Beta concept created after </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wizards of the Coast</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> took the reins of the Commander format from the Commander Rules Committee. It’s an attempt to ease the communication of gameplay expectations in Commander by providing a common language. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are five Brackets, each with different parameters and descriptors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The five Brackets are: Exhibition (1), Core (2), Upgraded (3), Optimized (4), and cEDH (5). </span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">The difference between Exhibition and Core is the extent to which the deck is based on theme. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">The difference between Core and Upgraded is the amount of staples, including Game Changers. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">The difference between Upgraded and Optimized is speed, with Optimized loosening deckbuilding restrictions. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">And the difference between Optimized and cEDH proper is designing based on an expected metagame.</span></li>
</ul>
<p>For more on the Bracket System, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">you can check out our Guide here</a>.</p>
<h2>How Has the Bracket System Changed With the Latest Announcement?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coax from the Blind Eternities"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the key adjustments to the Bracket system is the addition of the arrows of intent, the Blind Eternities between the Brackets. These help create the terminology with which the Brackets are discussed, as well as offering some interesting context and nuance for discussing typal decks.</span></p>
<h2>What Do the Changes Mean for Typal Decks?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But where do typal decks fit? If you’ve been following this column, you know that I’ve written about a range of creature types, from tiny Halfings to mighty Dragons. I’ve also recorded 70+ episodes of a creature-type-based podcast,</span> <a href="http://anchor.fm/quote-of-arms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quote of Arms</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, so I’ve seen a huge array of creature type decks. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So how do we interpret the Bracket system for such a wide range of power and speed?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coat of Arms"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tricky part of answering where typal decks tend to live is this: Typal decks bridge Brackets. They use a set framework to ease design and the individual cards tend to be better together, so they can play up or down to different competition. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Generally speaking, typal decks have simple and linear play patterns, making them relatively easy to pick up and take to a new table in the abstract. Unsupported and colorshifted strategies go into the lower levels, but they'd get absolutely wrecked by more powerful and supported strategies.</span></p>
<h2>How Can Typal Decks Bridge Exhibition and Core?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hamza, Guardian of Arashin"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many typal decks live in the Exhibition or Core Brackets. The focus on theme over staples, including exceptions to deckbuilding restrictions for thematic cards, means that less-supported creature types with more creative license can live at these levels. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The more you have to stretch to find playable members of the creature type, and the less support or even common ground between members, the more the type leans into Exhibition. An example of this would be my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hamza, Guardian of Arashin" href="#" target="_blank">Hamza, Guardian of Arashin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Elephant typal deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathril, Blade of the Elves"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urgoros, the Empty One"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not all creature types have received the same amount of power and support over the years. For example, Elves appear on many different planes, exist in largely the same colors, and, as a result, get stronger and stronger as more sets come out. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Specters have a similarly historic pedigree, but rarely have new members printed and have never truly been featured on a plane the way Elves were in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dominaria</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lorwyn</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malcolm, the Eyes"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Theme is an intriguing separation between Exhibition and Core. Exhibition typal decks are ones where the player does more work to supply the theme, such as including forced combat and goad effects in a Siren typal deck. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Core typal decks, on the other hand, will often have multiple key pieces or commanders that specifically reference the creature type or provide a direction.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ayara, First of Locthwain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Preston, the Vanisher"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what about taking popular creature types in new directions? Elves and Wizards are fairly well supported creature types, but there are enough members to shift those strategies away from their typical colors. Adding extra restrictions is a fun way to reinforce the theme and lean into Exhibition instead of Core. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Examples of this include mono-black Elves with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ayara, First of Locthwain" href="#" target="_blank">Ayara, First of Locthwain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and mono-white Wizards with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preston, the Vanisher" href="#" target="_blank">Preston, the Vanisher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2>How Can Typal Decks Bridge Core and Upgraded?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ezuri, Renegade Leader"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elfball decks and other powerful creature types, like Dragons, have limited deck slots because there are so many cards that fill major roles. Since these decks have staple cards and commanders, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiamat" href="#" target="_blank">Tiamat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezuri, Renegade Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Ezuri, Renegade Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they tend to lean more into Core or Upgraded.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tiamat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Staples separate Core from Upgraded decks, and it’s important to note that this isn’t limited to Game Changers. Core typal decks will likely have some amount of cards that act like signpost uncommons in Limited formats. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Upgraded typal decks, however, will have a high degree of synergy with each other and multiple powerful signpost commanders, like Dragons with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2>How Can Typal Decks Bridge Upgraded and Optimized?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muxus, Goblin Grandee"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conspicuous Snoop"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speed is what separates Upgraded typal decks from Optimized ones. While Miirym or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are busy ramping to a board of giant flyers, an Optimized <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muxus, Goblin Grandee" href="#" target="_blank">Muxus, Goblin Grandee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck is setting up the top of its library to combo off with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspicuous Snoop" href="#" target="_blank">Conspicuous Snoop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a Goblin-flavored ham sandwich.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Muxus is not part of the established cEDH metagame, however. It’s a six-mana creature, and its combos are permanent-based and able to be disrupted. Players expecting decks that are on a particular list know what types of threats and interaction to expect and build their decks around that known information. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They also use that known information to evaluate their decks and decisions, and playing off-meta decks can disrupt their data collection and make it so that they don’t get what they want out of those games.</span></p>
<h2>How Can Typal Decks Bridge Optimized and cEDH?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magda, Brazen Outlaw"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the cEDH Deck Database, Inalla Wizards and Magda Dwarves have pierced the metagame, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conspicuous Snoop" href="#" target="_blank">Conspicuous Snoop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Goblin combo decks have been experimented with. These tend to be some of the easier entry points into Optimized and cEDH play. Typal decks tend to do this regardless of Bracket. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is why I love writing about typal decks: they’re great at bridging Brackets.</span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Typal decks can occupy a range of Brackets, and the changes to the Bracket system have made it easier to figure out where a typal deck fits, even if those differences are subtle and a bit different than placing the average deck. Typal decks also help bridge Brackets, making them great ways to introduce players to different Brackets!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But where would you place different typal decks? And what Brackets are your typal decks in?</span></p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
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kindred commander decks

Putting up Walls with Invisible Woman in Commander

Where Do Typal Decks Fit in the New Bracket System?