<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CDaniel+Ljunggren%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Ljunggren</a></em></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has overtaken <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as the top Jund (<span class="mana-container-container"><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-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>) commander <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders">on EDHREC</a>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hearthhull, the Worldseed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King"></div></div>
<p>We projected Hearthhull and its over 18,000 decks (or should we say, fleets?) to dethrone Korvold back in January. However, Korvold proved persistent up until this moment. But why is a card that, on its surface, defies so many Jund stereotypes such a popular Jund commander? Read on, and we will examine the popularity of this awesome Spacecraft!</p>
<h2>The Rise of Lands-Matter Strategies</h2>
<p>The simple answer to the question is that Hearthhull, the Worldseed is a fantastic <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/lands-matter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lands-Matter commander</a>. Several years ago, while I hate to admit the length of it, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord Windgrace" href="#" target="_blank">Lord Windgrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was an extremely popular Jund commander. Another card that seemingly defied Jund norms, the planeswalker card lent itself well to land decks.</p>
<p>From my own experience, people often even <em>maligned</em> the play styles that Lord Windgrace offered.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lord Windgrace"></div></div>
<p>Now, why am I discussing an older planeswalker commander when I need to talk about this Spacecraft? Simply put, both are cut from the same cloth of Jund Lands-Matters commanders. Put another way, Windgrace walked so that Hearthhull could run.</p>
<p>It's also interesting to note, as a slight aside, that Windgrace has just under 10,000 decks at its command (9,989 as of the time of writing) and a rank of #174 in terms of popularity. Thus, I stand by this particular assessment. I'd even go so far as to say that because of Hearthhull, Lord Windgrace's continued popularity was stunted.</p>
<p>However, based on the timeframe of all of this, there's no way to 100% confirm that.</p>
<h2>Jund Archetypes and Stereotypes</h2>
<p>Many people seem to want to view Jund decks as aggressive, swing first/talk later sort of decks. It comes with the territory of the Gruul (<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-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) color identity, paired with the cruelty of monoblack decks. This is a stereotype, likely rooted in color pie philosophy and the upswing of Gruul-style decks thanks to the Ravnica guild.</p>
<p>Be that as it may, I'm here to say that Gruul, while being rather one-note, <em>isn't</em> Jund, and that's rather important as a distinction here. On the one hand, Jund Aggro most certainly exists, especially thanks to the proliferation of <em>very</em> strong decks in the history of <em>Magic</em>'s other formats, like Modern and even Standard.</p>
<p>However, three-color archetypes can be more diverse than this, as evidenced by cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and (perhaps as a stretch, admittedly) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xira, the Golden Sting" href="#" target="_blank">Xira, the Golden Sting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both lend themselves to very different playstyles than simply "point and smash." Xira can be a Control deck, while our lovely Worldseed can lend itself either to Control or Combo in addition to holding its own in Aggro builds.</p>
<p>With all of this in mind, Hearthhull is versatile enough to land in a good spot as the now-most popular Jund commander.</p>


Hearthhull Dethrones Korvold as Top Jund Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <a href="https://www.artstation.com/wisnutan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisnu Tan</a></em></p>
<p>Hello and welcome to <em>The Refresh</em>, a brand new series where I'll talk about how some of EDH's most popular decks have changed over time. There's a lot of <em>Magic</em> cards out there, and the format's most popular decks have changed a lot with some recent printings. We'll be taking a look at what new cards work well in each of these decks, and why players may want to open up slots in their lists for those cards.</p>
<p>Our first commander has been a staple of the format since it was printed in <em>Throne of Eldraine</em> back in 2019. As the 44th most popular commander on EDHREC, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> leads 16,548 decks at the time of writing.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King"></div></div>
<p>Let’s see what Korvold does, what decks centered around him do, and then talk about some new cards!</p>
<h2>What Does Korvold, Fae-Cursed King Do?</h2>
<p>For <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-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>, we get a 4/4 with flying. And whenever Korvold enters the battlefield or attacks we sacrifice a permanent. This <em>seems</em> like a downside, but Korvold also gets a +1/+1 counter and lets us draw a card whenever we sacrifice something.</p>
<p>Although Korvold himself can be a once-per-turn sacrifice outlet with his titanic trigger, we’ll fill our 99 with lots of other ways to sacrifice permanents. And, while Korvold himself is a nice payoff for sacrificing permanents, we’ll be sure to include a nice suite of sacrifice payoffs in our 99 too.</p>
<p>There’s no shortage of sac outlets in Jund (<span class="mana-container-container"><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-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>), including <em>Modern Horizons 3</em>’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warren Soultrader" href="#" target="_blank">Warren Soultrader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is one of the best cards in any given Korvold deck, as it both provides a way to sacrifice our creatures and creates <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s for future sacrifice. The cost of one life is negligible, especially when considering the huge amount of advantage this creature provides to its pilots.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warren Soultrader"></div></div>
<p>There’s a ton of sacrifice payoffs in this color combination, too. From the ever-popular <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mayhem Devil" href="#" target="_blank">Mayhem Devil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <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> and its variants, there’s a lot to love here. My personal favorite is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marionette Apprentice" href="#" target="_blank">Marionette Apprentice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can even provide some sac fodder when it enters the battlefield.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mayhem Devil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Artist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marionette Apprentice"></div></div>
<p>Now that we’ve got a baseline understanding of what typically goes into a Korvold deck, and its general gameplay, let’s take a look at some of the best Korvold cards that have released over the last year. A full 1,187 cards that are legal in <span class="mana-container-container"><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-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> decks have been released, so even the most astute deck builders may have missed a few.</p>
<h2>What’s New for This Brew?</h2>
<p>I’ll start with two cards from my favorite set in recent memory: <em>Bloomburrow</em>! Although this set was largely focused on typal synergies, it had some cards that slot really nicely into this deck too.</p>
<p>First up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fountainport" href="#" target="_blank">Fountainport</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a utility land that does a little bit of everything this deck wants. It can sacrifice tokens to provide us with extra card advantage, sacrifice fodder, and even Treasure tokens that sacrifice themselves. Sure, it’s a colorless land in a three-color deck, but each of its activated abilities provide something that the deck wants. I’d love to see this land played more often!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fountainport"></div></div>
<p>Next up is a board wipe that’s only found its way into 12% of Korvold decks: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Edict" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Edict</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This sweeper frequently costs just <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 provides us with a ton of card advantage if we sacrifice our creatures to it too.</p>
<p>Plus, if we’ve got a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mayhem Devil" href="#" target="_blank">Mayhem Devil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <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> on the battlefield alongside our commander, we’ll be pushed even further ahead as we wipe the battlefield clean.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasphemous Edict"></div></div>
<p>Although its younger brother <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Meathook Massacre" href="#" target="_blank">The Meathook Massacre</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has risen to EDH stardom, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meathook Massacre II" href="#" target="_blank">Meathook Massacre II</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has slipped under the radar for many players. This is another sweeper that would slot well into many Korvold decks, and its restrictive casting cost of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" 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 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> can usually be handled in Treasure-centric Jund decks.</p>
<p>This enchantment provides us with advantage on ETB, and keeps providing advantage as it sticks around on the board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meathook Massacre II"></div></div>
<p>As a game goes on, Korvold tends to get pretty large. Because he gets a +1/+1 counter every time we sacrifice anything, it’s common for him to become a 10/10 or larger. So, taking advantage of that power, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infantry Shield" href="#" target="_blank">Infantry Shield</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes a ton of 1/1 tokens that we can swing in with. As an added bonus, we sacrifice those tokens in our end step. That means that we’re essentially doubling Korvold’s power and drawing a boatload of cards every time we attack with our commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Infantry Shield"></div></div>
<p>This card is a really easy way to accelerate into the late game, and close out the game from there!</p>
<p>And, of course, there’s a ton of cards from <em>Edge of Eternities</em> (EOE) that work perfectly with this deck’s game plan.</p>
<p>From EOE’s main set, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umbral Collar Zealot" href="#" target="_blank">Umbral Collar Zealot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best sac outlets that’s ever been printed. This two-drop can sacrifice both creatures and artifacts for free, and even lets us surveil as a bonus when we do so. It might cost more mana than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viscera Seer" href="#" target="_blank">Viscera Seer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but it certainly makes up for that with its boosted power, toughness, and graveyard-filling ability.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evendo Brushrazer" href="#" target="_blank">Evendo Brushrazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> feels like it was made for Korvold decks. It sacrifices permanents, provides extra mana, and even gives us conditional card advantage as we act out our game plan. All that for just <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>!</p>
<p>Rounding out this group is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scouring Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Scouring Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card that fits only in specific Korvold decks. Should you choose to include fetch lands and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Worlds" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Worlds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects in your 99, this card shines. Otherwise, it’s close to useless. So, even though this creature may not be of interest to every Korvold brewer, I wanted to point it out for everyone’s benefit.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Umbral Collar Zealot"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evendo Brushrazer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scouring Swarm"></div></div>
<h2>A Modern Korvold Commander List</h2>
<p>So, with all that said, what would a Korvold list with these cards included look like? I’m glad you asked…</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Refresh - Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Academy Manufactor
*1 Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
*1 Blood Artist
*1 Body Launderer
*1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
*1 Chatterfang, Squirrel General
*1 Deathrite Shaman
*1 Evendo Brushrazer
*1 Goldspan Dragon
*1 Greedy Freebooter
*1 Grim Hireling
*1 Haywire Mite
*1 Icetill Explorer
*1 Impulsive Pilferer
*1 Juri, Master of the Revue
*1 Marionette Apprentice
*1 Mayhem Devil
*1 Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest
*1 Mirkwood Bats
*1 Nadier&#039;s Nightblade
*1 Pitiless Plunderer
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Reassembling Skeleton
*1 Ruthless Technomancer
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Scouring Swarm
*1 Scute Swarm
*1 Six
*1 Szarel, Genesis Shepherd
*1 Tireless Provisioner
*1 Tireless Tracker
*1 Umbral Collar Zealot
*1 Warren Soultrader
*1 Ziatora, the Incinerator
*1 Zulaport Cutthroat
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Conduit of Worlds
*1 Exploration Broodship
*1 Hearthhull, the Worldseed
*1 Infantry Shield
*1 Tarrian&#039;s Soulcleaver
*1 Vexing Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki
*1 Meathook Massacre II
*1 Rain of Riches
*1 Revel in Riches
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
*1 Riveteers Ascendancy
*1 Sothera, the Supervoid
*1 Underworld Breach
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Edict
*1 Toxic Deluge
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Abrupt Decay
*1 Beast Within
*1 Crop Rotation
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Deflecting Swat
*1 Entish Restoration
*1 Fling
*1 Harrow
*1 Roiling Regrowth
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Blazemire Verge
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Command Tower
*1 Commercial District
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*2 Forest
*1 Fountainport
*1 Luxury Suite
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Misty Rainforest
*2 Mountain
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Raucous Theater
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Susur Secundi, Void Altar
*2 Swamp
*1 Thornspire Verge
*1 Treasure Vault
*1 Underground Mortuary
*1 Undergrowth Stadium
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Wastewood Verge
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>This deck seeks to push through wins with armies of tokens, with a large commander, and with classic Jund value engines. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Juri, Master of the Revue" href="#" target="_blank">Juri, Master of the Revue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a thrilling way to end the game, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirkwood Bats" href="#" target="_blank">Mirkwood Bats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can drain our opponents out over time, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can beef up our board enough for a single decisive combat step.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Juri, Master of the Revue"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirkwood Bats"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest"></div></div>
<p>Plus, all the deck’s Treasure synergies work nicely with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as an alternate win condition. Although 10 Treasures seems like a high bar to clear, I think Korvold and Co. can get there easily.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Revel in Riches"></div></div>
<p>That’s all for the first edition of <em>The Refresh</em>! I hope you enjoyed this series, and I’d love to know what commanders you’d like to see featured next. Feel free to let me know in the comments below!</p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
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korvold

Hearthhull Dethrones Korvold as Top Jund Commander

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Archetune-Up - Korvold, King of the Gobbos