<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Play of the Game" href="#" target="_blank">Play of the Game</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJung+Park%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Jung Park</a>)</h6>
<p>We are almost in the endgame of our March Magic Madness tournament. The final round, which takes place inside our regions, is upon us. By now, you know the teams and the matchups, and I do not want to delay the action any longer.</p>
<p>So I will send it to our other esteemed announcer the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena Rector" href="#" target="_blank">Arena Rector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for any final words before we dive into the matchups.</p>
<p>Arena Rector: All I can say about these matchups is that they will be explosive. We have some incredibly intriguing matchups that should be fun for everyone involved. Without anything further, let's go down to the action for the Elite 8.</p>
<h2>Scoring:</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Color Multipliers</strong>
<ul>
<li>Colorless 1.6x</li>
<li>Mono 1.5x</li>
<li>Two-color 1.4x</li>
<li>Three-color 1.3x</li>
<li>Four-color 1.2x</li>
<li>Five Color 1.1x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Deck Count &lt; or &gt; 15 Thousand</strong>
<ul>
<li>&gt; 15 Thousand 15.1x</li>
<li>&lt; 15 Thousand 14.9x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Original Print Date</strong>
<ul>
<li>Over five years ago, 5.9x</li>
<li>Printed in 202, 5.5x</li>
<li>Printed less than five years ago, 5.1x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Was it a "Design Mistake"</strong>
<ul>
<li>Yes 6.9x</li>
<li>No 7x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Game Changer</strong>
<ul>
<li>Yes 2.5x</li>
<li>No 7x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Salt Score &lt;, &gt; or = 1.2</strong>
<ul>
<li>&lt; 1.2 avg. Salt score 2.1x</li>
<li>&gt; 1.2 avg. Salt score 1.9x</li>
<li>= 1.2 avg. Salt score 2x</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Basketball scores are made with a generator to align with the "math" used.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h2>Shards Region</h2>
<p>(8) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph" href="#" target="_blank">Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (6) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcades, the Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Arcades, the Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcades, the Strategist"></div></div>
<p>What a matchup to kick off the Elite 8 here today. The Kerlmorphs, led by Ghyrson Starn, is the only remaining Universes Beyond team in the tournament. This team beats you with a "death by a thousand cuts" style.</p>
<p>A point or two at a time is all they need to make sure that they get the win. A key product of the Universes Beyond region <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch" href="#" target="_blank">Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> showed what this lesser known division is really about this game.</p>
<p>Backed up with game changers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystical Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Mystical Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the Kerlmorphs came out the gate fast and furious, relying on a strategy built around <a target="_blank" rel="noopener">pingers</a>.</p>
<p>Not to go down without a fight, Arcades leads the long-standing Walls. Unlike past tournaments, Arcades took a more<a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=arcades"> strategic approach</a>, which served them well until now.</p>
<p>Early on, with a well-timed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crystal Barricade" href="#" target="_blank">Crystal Barricade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it looked as if the walls would stand the test of time yet again. Unfortunately for them, a good, or in their case, a great defense was not enough, and the <a href="https://scryfall.com/card/eld/114/blow-your-house-down">Walls started to crumble</a>.</p>
<p>The Kelermorphs finished off this contest with a potent combo of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, Parun" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, Parun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> enchanted with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophidian Eye" href="#" target="_blank">Ophidian Eye</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They will be moving on to the Final Four as the champion of the Shards Region.</p>
<p><strong>Final Score:</strong> Kelermorphs 147 - Walls 101.</p>
<h2>Wedge Region</h2>
<p>(9) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir" href="#" target="_blank">Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (2) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div></div>
<p>A battle of design mistakes. Commander Ninjutsu vs. <em>Eminence</em>: Who will come out on top? These teams know how to gain an advantage from their game plans.</p>
<p>Yuriko and the Ninjas make you have to guard every angle of attack or suffer the consequences. Sidar Jabari and the Knights make card after card work in their favor and can make all of your removal feel like it is a part of a losing battle.</p>
<p>The Ninjas controlled this battle from the very start. No other team has come close to dealing with the idea of presenting too many threats for an opponent to deal with all tournament long. Led by a fiecersome foursome of Yuriko themselves and three key players</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Universal Automaton"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silver-Fur Master"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Satoru, the Infiltrator"></div></div>
<p>The Ninjas quickly became too much to handle. They rounded out their starting five with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fallen Shinobi" href="#" target="_blank">Fallen Shinobi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who picked off key cards when it mattered most and did not allow the Knights to close the gap.</p>
<p>The Knights did come with a good game plan; they just ran into a bad matchup.</p>
<p>Built around the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monument to Endurance" href="#" target="_blank">Monument to Endurance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the Knights did their best to leverage newcomer <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vodalian Wave-Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Vodalian Wave-Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knights&#039; Charge" href="#" target="_blank">Knights&#039; Charge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to overwhelm the opposition.</p>
<p>Against most opponents, this would have been a winning strategy, but without finding the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald of Hoofbeats" href="#" target="_blank">Herald of Hoofbeats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fatal Blow" href="#" target="_blank">Fatal Blow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was unable to land.</p>
<p><strong>Final Score:</strong> Ninjas 138 - Knights 95.</p>
<h2>Guild Region</h2>
<p>(13) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (14) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oloro, Ageless Ascetic" href="#" target="_blank">Oloro, Ageless Ascetic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza, Lord High Artificer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oloro, Ageless Ascetic"></div></div>
<p>A battle of two double-digit seeds to see who will escape from the wildest quadrant of the tournament we have ever seen. If you know your magic history, you will agree that this is a battle of giants against one another.</p>
<p>Urza and his High Artificers look to lock down the competition with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winter Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Winter Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trinisphere" href="#" target="_blank">Trinisphere</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Olor and the Giants also like to make life difficult for the opposition thanks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aura of Silence" href="#" target="_blank">Aura of Silence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>The Giants found themselves on the side of David against Goliath as Urza was not going home without the win.</p>
<p>Even with a variety of taxes being levied against his team, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a unique way of taking even his stax pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pithing Needle" href="#" target="_blank">Pithing Needle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Static Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Static Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a way to generate resources.</p>
<p>After overcoming the lock pieces, Urza utilized the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Simulacrum Synthesizer" href="#" target="_blank">Simulacrum Synthesizer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to march to victory and a spot in the Final Four.</p>
<p><strong>Final Score:</strong> High Artificers 121 - Giants 91.</p>
<h2>Blind Eternities Region</h2>
<p>(13) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs. (7) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teysa Karlov" href="#" target="_blank">Teysa Karlov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teysa Karlov"></div></div>
<p>The final battle before the Final Four features Kinnan and the Prodigies against Teysa Karlov and the Oligarchs. These two teams could not be more opposite in their play.</p>
<p>With Kinnan, it is all about the big play all the time. It is the epitome of the go big or go home game plan. With Teysa, small bodies are being used and reused to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eliminate the Competition" href="#" target="_blank">Eliminate the Competition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with an onslaught of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Attrition" href="#" target="_blank">Attrition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This game was tight. Teysa and the Oligarchs played a beautiful game from the first whistle, and key contributors <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 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim" href="#" target="_blank">Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> showed they were not to be underestimated.</p>
<p>Kinnan, however, got off to a lightning-fast start thanks to Enduring Vitality letting all the entire team pitch in so that the big flips off the top got out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tidespout Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Tidespout Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Koma, Cosmos Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Koma, Cosmos Serpent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> way ahead of schedule.</p>
<p>The Oligarchs could clean up the battlefield time and time again thanks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the sacrificing of creatures secretly doomed them to defeat.</p>
<p>The unlikely combination of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fade Away" href="#" target="_blank">Fade Away</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with an on board <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="It That Betrays" href="#" target="_blank">It That Betrays</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turned the tide for the Prodigies, and they never looked back.</p>
<p>In the closest finish and the only competitive bout from start to finish in this Elite 8, Kinnan and the Prodigies punch their way into the final spot in the Final Four.</p>
<p><strong>Final Score:</strong> Prodigies 87 - Oligarchs 80.</p>
<h2>Once More Into the Breach</h2>
<p>Wow, what a way to take us to the Final Four. The penultimate field is set with competitors who proved they are their region's champions. We have as follows:</p>
<p>Shards Region: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph" href="#" target="_blank">Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<p>Wedge Region: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<p>Guild Region: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<p>Blind Eternities Region: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<p>Who comes out on top? Will the two-seed Yuriko continue their dominant and seemingly unstopable run through the tournament?</p>
<p>Will the only remaining Universes Beyond representative in Ghyrson Starn take it home?</p>
<p>Or will either of our 13-seed teams, the Prodigies or the High Artificers, pull off the biggest upset and make their way to the finale, potentially against one another?</p>
<p>Join us as we move into the final battlefield inside the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strixhaven Stadium" href="#" target="_blank">Strixhaven Stadium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as we come closer to crowning a champion of March Magic Madness.</p>


March Magic Madness - Elite 8

The Top 10 Most Played Cards from FRF

Top 10 Cheap Dragons

March Magic Madness - Sweet 16

The Over/Under - A Review of Fallout Commanders

The Top 10 Most Played Commander Cards from KTK

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://xabigaztelua.com/">Xabi Gaztelua</a>)</h6>
<h1>Seeing Red</h1>
<p>Mono-red always has been and always will be my favorite color of deck in EDH. Red was already my favorite color in <em>Magic, </em>but there's just something about going up against everyone's high powered, multicolored decks.</p>
<p>All filled with crazy powerful cards in a suite of colors. And there you are with your pile of cheap cards and a dream, somehow still becoming the threat with copious amounts of direct damage and a wincon baked into your commander.</p>
<p>If the crimson curse lives within you. The need for burn, haste, and impulsivity, then this list is for you. A heap of powerful cards that find a home in any Commander deck with a mono-red legend at the helm. Regardless of your play style, these staples will help you to lean in to mono-red's inherent strengths, and patch over some of its weaknesses.</p>
<p>This is <em>The Monolith</em>, the series in which I convince you to build and play more monocolored decks in EDH, and here are 7 cards that will find a home in any mono-red Commander deck.</p>
<h2>1. Jeska's Will</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeska&#039;s Will"></div></div>
<p>There's a reason it's recently been dubbed a Game Changer. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the ability to create some absolutely explosive turns. For just three mana, you'll be able to pick one of two options.</p>
<p>Either fill your pool with red mana equal to the number of cards in one of your opponents' hands. A surprisingly big chunk of mana usually, especially if you're playing it on curve where most of your opponents will still have full hands from just starting the game.</p>
<p>Alternatively, you can use Jeska's Will to exile the top three cards of your library, keeping them available to play until the end of your turn. Now either of these are relatively good returns for your three mana. You'd obviously prefer to have the cards for longer for the rate, but draw is draw even if its impulsive. Especially in mono-red.</p>
<p>The true power of this card lies in the conditional text at the top though. If your commander is on the field, you can choose both. You get a potentially massive ritual for the cost, or at the very least you'll have cast the card effectively for free. Then you'll put three more cards into your arsenal for the turn.</p>
<p>Jeska's Will has loads of applications, from casting expensive cards early, to helping you storm off. In general, it's just never bad to make a tonne of mana and see three extra cards off the top of your library.</p>
<p>And because you get still one of the effects, even if your commander is out of action, it'll never eat up room in your hand doing nothing. Even if it does suck to only get one of the options.</p>
<h2>2. Ruby Medallion</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ruby Medallion"></div></div>
<p>Ramping in red isn't easy. You can certainly flood the board or your pool with one use mana. There's plenty of rituals or cards that dump out treasure tokens at your disposal that'll ensure you can have single explosive turns with a huge chunk of mana at your disposal.</p>
<p>But largely that mana is gone when it's used. In comparison to green's ability to find multiple lands per turn and consistently increase their available mana from turn to turn, red's version of ramping is usually quite lacking.</p>
<p>The medallions are available in every color in magic's pie, but they're even more essential as ramp for the decks that find themselves in this position. No easy access to increasing mana, and a tendency to spin out when they've tapped their last land. And that's red to a T.</p>
<p>The medallions reduce the cost of all spells you cast of their corresponding color. In this case red for ruby. And that's indefinitely. And for just two mana. Whilst they won't help you with the colorless spells in your deck or any cards that are all red pips (as it only reduces generic mana costs), permanently reducing the cost of almost all your spells for the rest of the game is a phenomenal help to a color that can struggle to get more permanent mana available.</p>
<h2>3. Arena of Glory</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arena of Glory"></div></div>
<p>Red has the ability to claw wins out of nowhere. To massively expedite games and go from the weakest player at the table to the new arch enemy in a matter of moments.</p>
<p>Conversely though, red struggles when games go long. The more time your opponents have to assemble their board states, put up walls, and heal any damage your early plays have done, the more your wins can slip through your fingers.</p>
<p>With that in mind, red needs the ability to play fast. There's a reason that haste is a keyword that's so intrinsically linked with red in the color pie. When you get something on the board, you need it to work right away. And with so many red commanders that rely on their flashy activated and combat abilities to do cool things, you want to get your creatures tapping and attacking as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Enter this lovely nonbasic land from <em>Modern Horizons 3</em>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena of Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Arena of Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to exert itself (exerted permanents don't untap the turn after) and pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to then add <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to your mana pool. If you spend that mana on a creature spell, that creature will gain haste until end of turn.</p>
<p>That's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> immediately pilfering the top card of each deck. Or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> immediately making a token. Heck, maybe even a token copy of Etali!</p>
<h2>4. Untimely Malfunction</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Untimely Malfunction"></div></div>
<p>One of the best defensive abilities red has access to is the ability to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolt Bend" href="#" target="_blank">Bolt Bend</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> targeted cards. You can't usually counter a spell in red and it's hard to give your own permanents hexproof or indestructible at instant speed.</p>
<p>That means any kill spells, counter spells, or any other kind of disruption sent your way can be pretty devastating. That is, unless it was a targeted effect.</p>
<p>By misdirecting counterspells or turning kill spells back onto the casters' own creatures, red has a unique ability to not stop a shot but pull an innocent bystander into the line of fire instead. There's a few of these effects to pick from in red but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Untimely Malfunction" href="#" target="_blank">Untimely Malfunction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is my go to pick since the release of <em>Duskmourn</em>.</p>
<p>Malfunction still hits targeted spells and abilities for a nice and cheap rate of just two mana, but also comes with some extra options for when you need it.</p>
<p>You can use it like an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abrade" href="#" target="_blank">Abrade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> but with protection attached rather than creature damage. Allowing you to destroy a nasty artifact at instant speed on your opponent's board, or any nonland you like if you have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liquimetal Torque" href="#" target="_blank">Liquimetal Torque</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on board.</p>
<p>On top of that you can either use it as evasion by stopping your opponent's nasty blockers from taking part in combat, allowing you to squeeze through with lethal damage, or just attack without having to worry about the blocker's best creature. It's a lovely little toolbox and will be useful in almost all situations in a game of EDH.</p>
<p>And with a format with this many different possible game states, having something that can answer a load of different problems all in one card is a surefire hit in any deck.</p>
<h2>5. Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle"></div></div>
<p>One of the best things about playing a monocolored deck is the ease with which you can assemble a mana base for your deck. Having utility lands is great, and you largely won't be punished for running colorless ones in your mono decks, but if you're lazy you can also just dump a pile of basic mountains in sleeves and call it a day there. Even more than that, there's some devilish options in red that reward you for sticking to the peaks with your mana base.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle" href="#" target="_blank">Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does one of the best things a staple card can do: reward you for simply playing the game. Valakut itself is just a tapped nonbasic mountain.</p>
<p>A great thing to shove out on turn one when not much is happening. But once it's on the board, your sixth mountain onward will gain a brand new ability. That's right, your lands are now <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolts</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Simply playing a mountain, if you have five or more other mountains on the field, will cause Valakut to deal 3 damage to any player or creature of your choice. Now every land drop you make becomes targeted removal for smaller creatures or puts added pressure on your biggest rival at the table.</p>
<p>Combine this card with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Koth, Fire of Resistance" href="#" target="_blank">Koth, Fire of Resistance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to not only reliably make your land drops every turn, but to also turn your 3 damage on land drop effects into a massive SEVEN damage when paired with Koth's ultimate. God I love red.</p>
<h2>6. Blasphemous Act</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasphemous Act"></div></div>
<p>One of the many things that red struggles with in a game of Commander is wiping a dangerous board. Board wipes are the most important thing an EDH deck can have, ensuring that one player doesn't run away with the game and giving you a chance to reset play when you fall behind. And whilst red has some of the worst options of any color in this regard, you should absolutely still pack them in your deck.</p>
<p>As the best sweeper in red, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a must include in almost all mono-red EDH decks. In what was a perfect synergy of cool card design and flavorful effects, this nine mana sorcery will deal a whopping 13 damage to every creature on the battlefield.</p>
<p>Whilst damage isn't the best way to remove creatures, especially ones sporting a toughness of 14 or higher, 13 should take out pretty much everything in sight.</p>
<p>Its contemporary, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain Reaction" href="#" target="_blank">Chain Reaction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does technically have the ability to do even more damage, but its conditional makes it liable to sitting as a dud card in your hand.</p>
<h3>Wiping a Board For One Mana is Just Very Good</h3>
<p>Blasphemous Act's biggest strength is that its generic cost is reduced by one for every creature on the battlefield. Of course you'd never cast this with zero creatures in play so it'll never actually cost you the full nine mana. In most cases it'll only actually cost you <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p>And in certain cases where there's only a few creatures on the board that desperately need to go, I'd rather pay a little extra for a guaranteed 13 damage than just three or four with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain Reaction" href="#" target="_blank">Chain Reaction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Not to mention that in the cases where you are only spending a single mana to wipe an entire board, you'll be able to rebuild incredibly fast directly after and maybe even swing in with a few hasty creatures.</p>
<h2>7. Blood Moon</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Moon"></div></div>
<p>Now this recommendation comes with a grain of salt. In fact, it's much more than a grain. Players don't like it when you mess with their lands. And whilst this isn't exactly an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armageddon" href="#" target="_blank">Armageddon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a lot of modern Commander decks run a huge amount of nonbasics.</p>
<p>Having them all become basic mountains, especially when that player isn't playing red, can be devastating. But it's precisely that reason that makes this card so effective when you're playing mono-red.</p>
<p>It's not a popular tactic but punishing players for their lack of basic lands can give you a significant advantage at the table. If you're not running too many utility lands, this card will effectively do absolutely nothing to your mana base whilst crippling every other players'.</p>
<p>The funniest part of all this being that red is the worst color to kill enchantments with. So even players who have red spells will struggle to use them to reverse the effect.</p>
<p>Mono-red is the most fun way to play <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>. This card simply forces your opponents to do the same!</p>
<h2>What Makes You See Red?</h2>
<p>So there's some absolute bangers for you to slot into every mono-red deck you build henceforth. But there's a whole heap of cards that could easily squeeze their way into this list.</p>
<p>What cards do you run in every mono-red deck you build? Which creatures, sorceries, and enchantments have already hit your list before you even started deck building?</p>
<p>Let me know in the comments below and I'll see you on the next edition of <em>The Monolith</em>. Why not check out my previous list in which I recommend <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-monolith-7-cards-you-should-be-running-in-any-monocolored-deck">cards that go in ANY mono deck</a>, regardless of color? But until then, happy deckbuilding, and stay mono!</p>


Top 7 Cards That Should Go In All Mono-Red Decks

Top 10 Interesting &#038; Interactive - Duskmourn

March Magic Madness - Top 64 Challenge

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merchant of the Vale|ELD|293" href="#" target="_blank">Merchant of the Vale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://johnseverinbrassell.com/">John Severin Brassell</a>)</h6>
<h1>Roll Up! Monocolored Marvels For Sale!</h1>
<p>Greetings travelers! Welcome to my humble store of wares. A hall of baubles and trinkets to slot into your EDH decks. Go ahead, take your pick!</p>
<p>But there's a catch. These cards only reach their true potential when played in decks of just one color.</p>
<p>As this is <em>The Monolith</em>, the home for deck builders who reject gold borders and build their 99s with just a single colored commander at the helm. A monocolored paradise!</p>
<p>We've spoken on this column before about a collection of cards in <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> that <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/5-reasons-why-your-next-commander-deck-should-be-monocolored">reward you for keeping your color identity</a> strongly pigmented.</p>
<p>With that in mind, let's take a look at some of these gorgeous pieces I have in store for you today that'll kick your mono decks up a level and reward you for sticking to just one type of pip.</p>
<p>Later down the line we'll certainly visit some stores that cater to a certain color. But for now, these 7 cards will easily slot into any monocolored deck, regardless of the identity you select.</p>
<h2>1. War Room</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="War Room"></div></div>
<p>We're kicking things off with a utility land, and if I'm not mistaken, this is probably one of the only cards in existence that directly rewards you for having less colors in your commander's color identity.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="War Room" href="#" target="_blank">War Room</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a colorless land that enters untapped, and in a mono-colored deck where you're not worried about finding your pips?</p>
<p>Anything else is just free value. And this card will certainly give you some free value with its secondary ability that might a well read, "pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and 1 life: draw a card".</p>
<p>There's quite a few situations, especially in the late game, where any player would happily swap three of their mana for another option off the top of their deck.</p>
<p>Sometimes you just need one more card and having War Room either sat in your land base and helping you out when you need, or stopping that land you drew at the start of your turn from ruining your day, will always be welcome.</p>
<p>In our mono decks where colorless lands don't hurt us very much and the land literally literally hurts us less for our devotion to one color? It's a must include.</p>
<h2>2. Throne of Eldraine</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Throne of Eldraine"></div></div>
<p>No, not the set! Although the set itself does have plenty of cards that reward mono building. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throne of Eldraine" href="#" target="_blank">Throne of Eldraine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is both a mana rock and card draw option that specifically asks you to stick with just one color.</p>
<p>The mana it makes can only cast monocolored spells and the card draw ability can only be activated with mana of the type you chose when it entered.</p>
<p>For gold bordered commanders, this card is probably more hassle than it's worth. But for us mono lovers? What a card it is.</p>
<p>First of all, the card might as well only cost one mana. It can immediately tap for four more mana of the color you're playing and the restriction will only stop you from playing something if it's colorless. That's a huge return on a mana rock.</p>
<p>Second of all, you thought three mana for one card was a good rate on your land? How about two cards instead for the same cost? Every single turn you don't tap it for mana!</p>
<h2>3. Heraldic Banner</h2>
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<p>Sticking with mana rocks for a while, this rock with an upside costs the standard amount of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> but actually gives you less bang for your buck as it can only tap for a mana of the color you choose when it enters unlike most three drop rocks that will generate any color.</p>
<p>Normally in mono decks you don't really need to pay extra for your rocks as you won't need their help mana fixing and can usually opt for the ones that only generate colorless for a cheaper rate.</p>
<p>Heraldic Banner, though, comes with an upside that becomes all the more powerful when combined with a mono deck.</p>
<p>When it enters and you select your color of choice to tap it for, you also allow it to pump up every creature you control with that color identity.</p>
<p>Unless you're playing a lot of colorless creatures in your deck, that's basically every single creature on your battlefield getting +1/+0 for the cost of just playing a mana rock. A no brainer!</p>
<h2>4. Nyx Lotus &amp; Nykthos Shrine</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nyx Lotus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx"></div></div>
<p>Alright, I'm lumping these two together as they're not only thematically linked, but also effectively do the same thing.</p>
<p>We've just had two from the plane of Eldraine that proves it's a great home for any decks that only play one color. But don't forget the equally devoted plane of Theros!</p>
<p>Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nyx Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Nyx Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tap for an amount of mana equal to your Devotion to one color.</p>
<p>Devotion is a <em>Theros</em>-centric mechanic that gives you rewards for each right colored mana pip on permanents you control. I.e. <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> provides three devotion to red.</p>
<p>In a mono deck that means the bigger your board state gets, the more mana these suckers will pump out. Nykthos comes with a cost but it's also attached to a land you can play for free and immediately activate, unlike the Lotus that comes in tapped. Combine either of these with repeatable effects that untap lands or artifacts though, and you could very easily go infinite!</p>
<h2>5. Extraplanar Lens</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Extraplanar Lens"></div></div>
<p>Grabbing a big chunk of mana for an already established board state is nice, but it doesn't do much when your board is empty and you're behind on the game.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extraplanar Lens" href="#" target="_blank">Extraplanar Lens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a bonus instead to a part of your board that usually goes relatively untouched: your lands.</p>
<p>For just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and the cost of exiling a card from your hand, this gaudy monocle will double the output of every basic land in your deck.</p>
<p>Just exile Extraplanar Lens from your hand as it enters, and now all swamps on the battlefield tap for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p>Now yes, I did say ALL swamps. That includes your opponents'. But if there's one thing we can punish our opponents with non-mono decks for, it's running way too many nonbasics to feed their multicolored habits.</p>
<p>You'll certainly be laughing as your mana base doubles and anyone else playing black with other colors sees their swamp free board missing out.</p>
<h2>6. Caged Sun</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caged Sun"></div></div>
<p>Now whilst this artifact is double the price of our previous entry, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caged Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Caged Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> manages to provide the same effect, without benefiting your opponents, and so so so much more.</p>
<p>Not only is the effect of doubling your mana no longer symmetrical, you also don't have to exile a card from hand to activate its effects.</p>
<p>In fact, Caged Sun doesn't even care where your chosen color of mana comes from, it simply adds an additional mana to any land that produces that color. That means all your nonbasic monocolored lands will suddenly join the party as well.</p>
<p>And on top of all that? It provides a +1/+1 anthem to every creature you control that matches the color. What an all star mono card.</p>
<h2>7. Commander's Plate</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Commander&#039;s Plate"></div></div>
<p>Finally, we have a card that's likely on the watchlist for quite a lot of Commander players, regardless of what they're building.</p>
<p>It's another card that, whilst it has a generically good ability, gets stronger and stronger with fewer colors in your commander's mana cost.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander&#039;s Plate" href="#" target="_blank">Commander&#039;s Plate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that provides a really cheap way to give your leader a bonus whilst also providing them protection from any color not represented in their color identity.</p>
<p>I probably don't have to spell out why this is good in a mono deck for you. A one drop artifact that gives protection from every color you aren't playing, and +3/+3? Yeah that's not bad, is it?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swiftfoot Boots"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Greaves"></div></div>
<p>Protection can be a far better effect than the hexproof or shroud provided by staples like the two above, as it also provides your equipped creature (doesn't even have to be your commander!) the ability to ignore all damage from sources of those colors, and be unblockable by creatures of that color as well.</p>
<p>This will be a slam dunk in any monocolored deck that wants its commander to stick to the board, and if you end up in a game where none of your opponents are playing decks that match your one color, they're going to have a very hard time getting rid of them.</p>
<h2>What Cards Do You Run in All Your Monocolored Decks?</h2>
<p>Whilst I don't think there's enough cards in circulation that directly reward you for sticking to one color, and there should certainly be some more printed by Wizards of the Coast<em>, </em>I'm also sure that there's some out there I've missed.</p>
<p>Let me know in the comments below what cards you always run in your monocolored decks to give them some extra oomph.</p>
<p>I'll be back with more editions of <em>The Monolith</em> and we'll also be dipping into cards that shine in each of the monocolors as well, so let me know what colors you'd like to see represented first.</p>
<p>Most importantly though, get yourself a brand new monocolored commander deck, and tune in next week for more!</p>


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