The Mind Stone Is Underwhelming, and I’m Glad It Is

Building Mister Fantastic for cEDH

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Super-Skrull" href="#" target="_blank">Super-Skrull</a> | Art by <a href="https://boros-szikszai.com/landing_2/boros/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zoltan Boros</a>
 What if <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith, the Returned King" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith, the Returned King</a> drew four cards instead of one, and what if it was black instead of white? Well folks, Marvel is once again here to answer our "What if?s" about parallel commanders, this time with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Super-Skrull" href="#" target="_blank">Super-Skrull</a>, a classic five-color goodstuffs commander that does just about everything. So, let's get to building this new commander for cEDH! 
<h2>What Does <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Super-Skrull" href="#" target="_blank">Super-Skrull</a> Do?</h2>
 <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Super-Skrull"></div></div> For , Super-Skrull is a 4/5 legendary Skrull Shapeshifter Villain creature with flying and a menu of four activated abilities. You can pay: 
<ul>
<li> to create a 0/4 Wall,</li>
<li> to give Super-Skrull +4/+4 until end of turn,</li>
<li> to deal four damage to target creature,</li>
<li>or to have target player draw four cards.</li>
</ul>
 Despite having a lot of text, Super-Skrull isn't a terribly complicated or convoluted card. It's a big value engine that gobbles up all the excess mana you have, churning that out in whatever form best suits the moment. In cEDH, that'll almost always be drawing cards, but there are plenty of cases where dealing four damage can be lifesaving, to say nothing else of the other myriad fringe cases that can pop up as the game goes on. I mean, pairing Super-Skrull with an activated ability cost reducer (more on those in a moment) and a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Cradle" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Cradle</a> becomes sort-of mana neutral, as you'll be paying to make a 0/4 and to increase your Gaea's Cradle mana by . All sorts of stuff like that is possible when you've got this many activated abilities with no restrictions other than mana costs to pay. Speaking of mana, where Super-Skrull really shines is as an infinite mana outlet. Find a way to make infinite , and you can draw your whole deck thanks to that last activated ability. 
<h2>Key Cards for <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Super-Skrull" href="#" target="_blank">Super-Skrull</a></h2>
<h3>Ability Cost Reducers</h3>
 <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Training Grounds Biomancer&#039;s Familiar Zirda, the Dawnwaker"></div></div> Continuing Marvel's list of cards that do a great Thrasios impression, Super-Skrull is a deck that similarly loves activated ability cost reducers. Each of these three cards reduces the cost to activate Super-Skrull's abilities by , a sizable enough reduction so as to make some of the less powerful abilities become meaningful options, such as paying to deal four damage to a creature, and to make the most powerful ability into something accessible much earlier on: paying to draw four cards. That's a one mana for one card rate, beating out even <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruce Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Bruce Banner</a>. 
<h3>Big Mana Producers</h3>
 Even with a cost reducer in play, however, is still a lot to pay for an activated ability that neither wins the game nor stops someone else from winning. So, to help ramp up mana production and make that cost all the more affordable, the next chunk of specialty cards in this deck are the big mana producers. <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seedborn Muse Unstoppable Plan Chromatic Orrery"></div></div> <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seedborn Muse" href="#" target="_blank">Seedborn Muse</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unstoppable Plan" href="#" target="_blank">Unstoppable Plan</a> don't make mana, per se, but they do untap a whole bunch of permanents - permanents that usually add mana. In Seedborn Muse's case, you'll be getting back mana from your lands at the very least, while Unstoppable Plan is more concerned with creatures and artifacts. Speaking of artifacts, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Orrery" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Orrery</a> is the biggest single mana producer (outside of sometimes Gaea's Cradle) in the deck. Seven is a huge mana value, but being entirely generic makes it surprisingly easy to cast off of the likes of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Vault" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Vault</a>. 
<h2>How Does <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Super-Skrull" href="#" target="_blank">Super-Skrull</a> Win?</h2>
<h3>Infinite Mana</h3>
 Having access to all five colors as part of Super-Skrull's color identity means that this deck can run any infinite mana combo it wants, but it's unfortunately limited by the fact that the relevant activated ability you'll want to sink mana into has as part of its cost. As such, this deck's infinite mana combos are broken into two categories: incidental and strategic. <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy Basalt Monolith Hullbreaker Horror"></div></div> Starting off with the incidental combos, these are <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a> plus <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basalt Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Basalt Monolith</a>, as well as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a> plus either <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basalt Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Basalt Monolith</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Monolith</a>. Both of these combos provide infinite , which means that you can activate Super-Skrull as many times as you have available. It may not be infinite activations, but it'll surely draw you a bunch of cards - of which hopefully one is a tutor that you can use to find <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Orrery" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Orrery</a>. Why? Because <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Orrery" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Orrery</a> isn't just a premier mana rock; it also provides color filtering. Adding Chromatic Orrery into the equation means that now can be spent as if it were any color of mana, allowing for infinite Super-Skrull activations. These combos are incidental because Super-Skrull already wants to be running pretty much every card contained within their packages. Kinnan's a great accelerant, Zirda's a powerful activated ability cost reducer, and the rest of the cards are just big mana rocks that enable the already expensive game plan. As for strategic infinite mana combos, this deck runs just one: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hullbreaker Horror" href="#" target="_blank">Hullbreaker Horror</a>, which combos with any two mana rocks which together are mana-positive. This deck runs all sorts of ways to leapfrog ahead in mana production, making Hullbreaker Horror's cost of all the less horrifying while also opening up more lines with mana-positive rocks. Just cast the Horror, cast a noncreature spell, then start looping mana rocks with your Hullbreaker triggers. 
<h3>The Usual Suspects: Tainted Fish and Underworld Breach Combo</h3>
 <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thassa&#039;s Oracle Underworld Breach"></div></div> As with just about any deck that can run them, Super-Skrull can win with either of cEDH's two defining combo packages: Tainted Fish (the package of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa&#039;s Oracle</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Consultation" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Consultation</a>/<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tainted Pact" href="#" target="_blank">Tainted Pact</a>), and Underworld Breach (specifically the combo package of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underworld Breach" href="#" target="_blank">Underworld Breach</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brain Freeze" href="#" target="_blank">Brain Freeze</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond" href="#" target="_blank">Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond</a>). Using either line will end with an empty library and a Thassa's Oracle trigger on the stack, although Underworld Breach provides the backup option of also milling out your opponents' libraries thanks to an arbitrarily large storm count via a repeatedly escaped Brain Freeze. 
<h2><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Super-Skrull" href="#" target="_blank">Super-Skrull</a> cEDH Deck List</h2>
 <div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Super-Skrull cEDH" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander] *1 Super-Skrull [/Commander] [Instants] *1 Abrupt Decay *1 Ad Nauseam *1 Brain Freeze *1 Crop Rotation *1 Culling the Weak *1 Dark Ritual *1 Demonic Consultation *1 Enlightened Tutor *1 Final Fortune *1 Flusterstorm *1 Force of Negation *1 Force of Will *1 Intuition *1 Mana Drain *1 Mental Misstep *1 Mystical Tutor *1 Pact of Negation *1 Red Elemental Blast *1 Silence *1 Swan Song *1 Swords to Plowshares *1 Tainted Pact *1 Vampiric Tutor *1 Worldly Tutor [/Instants] [Artifacts] *1 Arcane Signet *1 Basalt Monolith *1 Chromatic Orrery *1 Chrome Mox *1 Fellwar Stone *1 Grim Monolith *1 Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond *1 Lotus Petal *1 Mana Vault *1 Mox Diamond *1 Mox Opal *1 Sol Ring *1 The One Ring *1 Wishclaw Talisman [/Artifacts] [Creatures] *1 Biomancer&#039;s Familiar *1 Birds of Paradise *1 Deathrite Shaman *1 Elvish Spirit Guide *1 Esper Sentinel *1 Hullbreaker Horror *1 Ignoble Hierarch *1 Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy *1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff *1 Mockingbird *1 Noble Hierarch *1 Orcish Bowmasters *1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer *1 Ranger-Captain of Eos *1 Seedborn Muse *1 Simian Spirit Guide *1 Thassa&#039;s Oracle *1 Voice of Victory *1 Zirda, the Dawnwaker [/Creatures] [Sorceries] *1 Culling Ritual *1 Demonic Tutor *1 Diabolic Intent *1 Finale of Devastation *1 Gamble *1 Imperial Seal *1 Mnemonic Betrayal *1 Neoform *1 Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation [/Sorceries] [Enchantments] *1 Mystic Remora *1 Rhystic Study *1 Smothering Tithe *1 Training Grounds *1 Underworld Breach *1 Unstoppable Plan [/Enchantments] [Lands] *1 Ancient Tomb *1 Badlands *1 Bayou *1 Bloodstained Mire *1 Boseiju, Who Endures *1 City of Brass *1 Command Tower *1 Exotic Orchard *1 Flooded Strand *1 Gaea&#039;s Cradle *1 Gemstone Caverns *1 Mana Confluence *1 Marsh Flats *1 Misty Rainforest *1 Polluted Delta *1 Scalding Tarn *1 Scrubland *1 Starting Town *1 Taiga *1 Tropical Island *1 Tundra *1 Underground Sea *1 Verdant Catacombs *1 Volcanic Island *1 Watery Grave *1 Windswept Heath *1 Wooded Foothills [/Lands]"></div> 
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Super-Skrull" href="#" target="_blank">Super-Skrull</a> plays a lot like a casual deck that got ramped up to cEDH. Run each color's best cards, make a ton of mana, turn that mana into a ton of cards, and then cobble together a win from any of a handful of packages. Whether or not it unseats Kenrith as cEDH's go-to goodstuffs deck remains to be seen, but the Super-Skrull undoubtedly packs a punch.

Building Super-Skrull for cEDH

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruce Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Bruce Banner</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.tommyarnoldart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tommy Arnold</a>
 Have you ever wondered what <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrasios, Triton Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Thrasios, Triton Hero</a> would be like if it cost one mana less? And, just to entertain the hypothetical, if it could also be a combo piece itself - not just an infinite mana outlet? Well, folks, Magic's next Marvel crossover has come to answer exactly that question. May I present to you <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruce Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Bruce Banner</a>, a one-mana legendary creature that packs all of Temur into its color identity. So, let's get to building this commander for cEDH. 
<h2>What Does <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruce Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Bruce Banner</a> Do?</h2>
 <div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bruce Banner"></div></div> On the front side, Bruce Banner is a legendary 1/1 Human Scientist Hero creature for with two activated abilities. First, ", : Draw X cards. Activate only as a sorcery," and second, ": Transform Bruce Banner. Activate only as a sorcery." On the reverse side, Bruce Banner is The Incredible Hulk, a legendary 8/8 Gamma Berserker Hero with reach, trample, and the triggered ability "Whenever The Incredible Hulk is dealt damage, put a +1/+1 counter on him. If he's attacking, untap him and there is an additional combat phase after this phase." Additionally, borrowing some card design technology from Spider-Man, you can cast The Incredible Hulk as the reverse side for . That's right, this is a transforming MDFC. So, what does this whole package do in a cEDH context? Well, starting with Bruce Banner, it's eerily similar to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrasios, Triton Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Thrasios, Triton Hero</a>. Bruce is a cheap infinite mana outlet that enables commander-dependent spells really early - all good things in a Temur deck. It's super unfortunate that the ability to draw cards can only be activated as a sorcery, but considering that it costs half as much as a Thrasios activation, that seems like a fairly reasonable tradeoff. Looking to The Incredible Hulk, things get a little murky. cEDH isn't exactly know for its stompy green decks, and that's the role The Incredible Hulk is trying to fill. Additionally, having The Incredible Hulk in play means that you don't have Bruce Banner in play - a tradeoff that cuts you out of one more possible value engine you would've had otherwise. However, as we'll see later on, there's a combo to be found with The Incredible Hulk that makes this all worth it. 
<h2>Key Cards for <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruce Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Bruce Banner</a></h2>
<h3>Ability Cost Reducers</h3>
 <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Training Grounds Biomancer&#039;s Familiar"></div></div> Starting out with some cards ripped straight out of Thrasios, we've got activated ability cost reducers. Each of these two cards reduces the cost to activate Bruce Banner's abilities by (unless it would reduce the cost to just , in which case it only reduces it to ). That means that, with one of these effects in play, you can draw one card for , or two cards for , or three cards for ...you get the idea. In long games, this amount of value can snowball insurmountably, turning Bruce Banner into one of the best engines in your deck. 
<h3>Artifact Tutors</h3>
 <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trophy Mage Whir of Invention Transmute Artifact"></div></div> While tutors are nothing unique to any particular commander, Bruce Banner does pay more attention to artifacts than most other Temur cEDH decks do. All three of its combos use an artifact in one way or another, and these three cards make sure that you can reliably find your combo pieces game after game. 
<h2>How Does <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruce Banner" href="#" target="_blank">Bruce Banner</a> Win?</h2>
<h3>Infinite Mana</h3>
 <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy Basalt Monolith Finale of Devastation"></div></div> Starting off with the deck's premier infinite mana combo, it's the classic pair of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basalt Monolith" href="#" target="_blank">Basalt Monolith</a>. Pairing these two together allows for infinite colorless mana production, as Basalt Monolith will add and only require to untap itself. With that mana, you'll draw your deck thanks to Bruce Banner, and somewhere in there you'll see a whole bunch of creatures and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Finale of Devastation" href="#" target="_blank">Finale of Devastation</a>. Cast all the creatures, then cast Finale of Devastation for some arbitrarily large X value. It doesn't matter what, if anything, you grab - all that matters is that X is large enough to boost your newly-hasty board's power to lethal. 
<h3>Hulk Combo</h3>
 <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caltrops"></div></div> On to the star of the show: the one-card combo with The Incredible Hulk: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caltrops" href="#" target="_blank">Caltrops</a>. For , Caltrops is an artifact that, whenever a creature attacks, deals one damage to that creature. Wouldn't you know it, whenever The Incredible Hulk is dealt damage, you'll put a +1/+1 counter on it. Additionally, The Incredible Hulk will see that this damage happened while it was attacking, untapping it and creating another combat step. Thanks to the +1/+1 counters, The Incredible Hulk won't die from the damage, and thus triggering Caltrops, for an infinite number of combats. 
<h3>Underworld Breach Combo</h3>
 <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Underworld Breach Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond Brain Freeze"></div></div> Last but not least, what would a red cEDH deck be without <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underworld Breach" href="#" target="_blank">Underworld Breach</a>? You know it, you love it (or maybe you hate it): cast Underworld Breach, cast and then sacrifice a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond" href="#" target="_blank">Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond</a> to add , then escape <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brain Freeze" href="#" target="_blank">Brain Freeze</a> from your graveyard, targeting yourself. You'll mill a bunch of cards, be up from where you started, and be in the perfect situation to restart the cycle. Keep going until you have as much mana as you need and see as many cards as you need, then either execute one of the other two combos or just mill out your opponents by casting Brain Freeze with an arbitrarily large storm count. 
<h2>Bruce Banner // The Incredible Hulk cEDH Deck List</h2>
 <div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Bruce Banner / The Incredible Hulk cEDH" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander] *1 Bruce Banner // The Incredible Hulk [/Commander] [Artifacts] *1 Arcane Signet *1 Basalt Monolith *1 Caltrops *1 Chrome Mox *1 Fellwar Stone *1 Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond *1 Lotus Petal *1 Mana Vault *1 Mox Amber *1 Mox Diamond *1 Mox Opal *1 Sol Ring *1 The One Ring [/Artifacts] [Creatures] *1 Badgermole Cub *1 Biomancer&#039;s Familiar *1 Birds of Paradise *1 Bloom Tender *1 Cloud of Faeries *1 Delighted Halfling *1 Elvish Spirit Guide *1 Endurance *1 Eternal Witness *1 Faerie Mastermind *1 Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy *1 Llanowar Elves *1 Phyrexian Metamorph *1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer *1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds *1 Simian Spirit Guide *1 Spellseeker *1 Spellskite *1 The Cabbage Merchant *1 Trophy Mage *1 Wan Shi Tong, Librarian [/Creatures] [Instants] *1 Brain Freeze *1 Chain of Vapor *1 Cyclonic Rift *1 Deflecting Swat *1 Fierce Guardianship *1 Flusterstorm *1 Force of Negation *1 Force of Vigor *1 Force of Will *1 Gifts Ungiven *1 Into the Flood Maw *1 Legolas&#039;s Quick Reflexes *1 Mental Misstep *1 Mindbreak Trap *1 Mystical Tutor *1 Noxious Revival *1 Pact of Negation *1 Pyroblast *1 Red Elemental Blast *1 Redirect Lightning *1 Snap *1 Spell Pierce *1 Swan Song *1 Veil of Summer *1 Whir of Invention *1 Worldly Tutor [/Instants] [Enchantments] *1 Carpet of Flowers *1 Mystic Remora *1 Rhystic Study *1 Training Grounds *1 Underworld Breach [/Enchantments] [Sorceries] *1 Eldritch Evolution *1 Finale of Devastation *1 Gamble *1 Jeska&#039;s Will *1 Nature&#039;s Rhythm *1 Rite of Flame *1 Transmute Artifact [/Sorceries] [Lands] *1 Arid Mesa *1 Bloodstained Mire *1 Boseiju, Who Endures *1 Breeding Pool *1 City of Brass *1 Exotic Orchard *1 Flooded Strand *1 Gaea&#039;s Cradle *1 Gemstone Caverns *1 Mana Confluence *1 Misty Rainforest *1 Otawara, Soaring City *1 Polluted Delta *1 Rejuvenating Springs *1 Scalding Tarn *1 Shifting Woodland *1 Starting Town *1 Steam Vents *1 Stomping Ground *1 Taiga *1 Talon Gates of Madara *1 Training Center *1 Tropical Island *1 Verdant Catacombs *1 Volcanic Island *1 Windswept Heath *1 Wooded Foothills [/Lands]"></div> 
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
 Bruce Banner may be a sorcery-speed only engine, but it's still a one-mana engine in a world where having access to your Commander early is often a huge advantage. To top it all of, in the late game The Incredible Hulk has real combo potential - artifacts aren't too hard to tutor for in blue, and Caltrops is pretty cheap to cast considering it can end the game the turn it resolves. Only time will tell how much staying power the deck really has, but one thing's for sure: it certainly has potential.

Building Bruce Banner // The Incredible Hulk for cEDH

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Namor the Sub-Mariner" href="#" target="_blank">Namor the Sub-Mariner</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.rallisart.com/magic-the-gathering" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Rallis</a>
 Ahh yes, Merfolk. "Wet Elves," if you will. One of Magic's most beloved creature types, and one of their most powerful, just got a brand new commander that's coming out in 2026. I might not know much about Marvel's Namor, but I can say for certain that Magic's Namor is one of the best Merfolk commanders we've seen since The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Namor the Sub-Mariner"></div></div> 
<h2>What Does <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Namor the Sub-Mariner" href="#" target="_blank">Namor the Sub-Mariner</a> Do?</h2>
 For , Namor is a flying */4, and his power is equal to the number of Merfolk we've got on board. And whenever we cast a noncreature spell, we make a 1/1 Merfolk creature token for each in that spell's mana cost. Namor may seem relatively tame on the surface, but he's a Voltron threat all on his own. When combined with his ability to clog the board with tricksy Merfolk, this commander sure makes a splash. Although Namor is a strong, evasive creature that can end combats in just a few turns, he's not the focus of our game plan. We'll control the board, and then buff up our Merfolk to swing in for victory. Namor makes more 1/1s than most of our opponents will be able to deal with, and those creature tokens will be how we aim to win the game. I've built a strong <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bracket 3</a> list, and a cheap version of this list is possible if you cut just two or three pricey cards. Let's get brewing, and see what Namor can do! 
<h2>Key Cards for Namor</h2>
 Merfolk have been a part of Magic since 1993, so there's a long history of powerful synergies to draw upon. Anthem effects like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord of Atlantis" href="#" target="_blank">Lord of Atlantis</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master of the Pearl Trident" href="#" target="_blank">Master of the Pearl Trident</a> are classics, and they work even better alongside newer releases like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vodalian Hexcatcher" href="#" target="_blank">Vodalian Hexcatcher</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Attuma, Atlantean Warlord" href="#" target="_blank">Attuma, Atlantean Warlord</a>. I'm particularly excited about Attuma, who makes <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seafloor Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Seafloor Oracle</a> seem like a relic. My favorite anthem effect, though, is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindspring Merfolk" href="#" target="_blank">Mindspring Merfolk</a>. Although it can only be used once, it's a fantastic finisher that we can make use of when it's time to close out the game. <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lord of Atlantis Attuma, Atlantean Warlord Mindspring Merfolk"></div></div> We've also got a small collection of what I'll call "mean" creatures that provide repeatable interaction for our opponents' game plans. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silvergill Douser" href="#" target="_blank">Silvergill Douser</a> can shrink our opponents' best attackers over and over again, ensuring that they can't connect with their most powerful creatures. We'll usually have enough Merfolk to reduce an opposing creature's power to zero, which is a pretty sweet ability for this two-drop. Then there's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harbinger of the Seas" href="#" target="_blank">Harbinger of the Seas</a>, which will pose a serious issue to our opponents who chose to play multicolored decks against us. It'll likely get removed pretty quickly, as most Commander decks run a bevy of nonbasic lands, but it can slow everyone else at the table down by a turn or two. Finally, the meanest of the bunch: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lullmage Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Lullmage Mentor</a>. I almost feel bad for including this card in the list, as this Wizard can lock down the game easily. Paired with Namor, we'll usually have enough Merfolk on the board to counter at least one spell per turn rotation. The threat of activation can prevent opponents from even attempting to cast their scariest spell, meaning Lullmage Mentor is even stronger than it appears at first blush. <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silvergill Douser Harbinger of the Seas Lullmage Mentor"></div></div> To find these powerful creatures more consistently, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merrow Harbinger" href="#" target="_blank">Merrow Harbinger</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seahunter" href="#" target="_blank">Seahunter</a> have found their way into the 99. Seahunter is actually part of a cycle of cards that tutor creatures of a specific type to the battlefield, and I've not seen any of these cards in person. We'll be making a lot of tokens, often in bunches of three or four, so <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonlit Meditation" href="#" target="_blank">Moonlit Meditation</a> can be extremely powerful. If we manage to enchant a card like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merfolk Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Merfolk Sovereign</a> with this Aura, we can generate a whole bunch of anthems to power up our board. Moonlit Meditation is a recent release, and I've been trying to find the perfect home for this unique card since it was first spoiled. I think this may be one of the best fits I've found yet. We can use all the tokens we make to convoke out a huge <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transcendent Message" href="#" target="_blank">Transcendent Message</a>, creating four 1/1 Merfolk and drawing a ton of cards. This spell can even be cast for "free" if we've got enough creatures on the battlefield, letting us spend our mana on interaction before tapping down our Merfolk to draw a whole bunch of cards. Similarly, we can tap our creatures for another powerful noncreature spell: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Secret of Bloodbending" href="#" target="_blank">Secret of Bloodbending</a>. This new sorcery does a very good <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindslaver" href="#" target="_blank">Mindslaver</a> impression while also making four Merfolk if Namor is on the battlefield when we cast it. <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonlit Meditation Transcendent Message Secret of Bloodbending"></div></div> To ensure that our commander works as well as possible we've got some spells in our list specifically for their high pip count. First up is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fated Infatuation" href="#" target="_blank">Fated Infatuation</a>, an above-rate clone spell that also gives us some valuable card selection. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reenact the Crime" href="#" target="_blank">Reenact the Crime</a> has also earned a spot. I like to include at least one piece of graveyard hate in each of my Commander decks, and this instant is my go-to for color combinations that don't include , , or . Those colors have access to more consistent, and lower-cost, anti-graveyard tech. But, Reenact the Crime is far from a bad option in this spellslinging-centric list. I also wanted to shout out a pair of high-cost, high-impact sorceries: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mnemonic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Mnemonic Deluge</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorcerous Squall" href="#" target="_blank">Sorcerous Squall</a>. We've got a few ways to fill up graveyards, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mental Note" href="#" target="_blank">Mental Note</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thought Scour" href="#" target="_blank">Thought Scour</a>, so these spells will usually change the game substantially when they resolve. Many of these spells likely can't see play outside of mono- decks, as their restrictive mana costs make them unattractive for pilots that play with more than one color. <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fated Infatuation Reenact the Crime Mnemonic Deluge"></div></div> 
<h2>How Does This Namor Deck Win?</h2>
 Merfolk creature tokens don't have any inherent evasion. How can we ensure that we're able to connect with our opponents? Well, one-sided wipes like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raise the Palisade" href="#" target="_blank">Raise the Palisade</a> can clear a path for us quite well. Outside of dedicated typal decks, Merfolk are quite rare. So, for just , we'll be able to get rid of almost all of our opponents' creatures while ours remain untouched. There's also <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Leviathan" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Leviathan</a>. While this Saga creature leaves a few more of our opponents' creatures on the board, it's also a 6/6 creature that lets us draw a whole heap of cards with its second and third chapters. We can also lock down the board with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Junk Winder" href="#" target="_blank">Junk Winder</a>, one of the few cards with affinity for tokens! <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raise the Palisade Summon: Leviathan Junk Winder"></div></div> But if our token-based game plan doesn't work out, we can always attack our opponents with Namor. He'll get up above seven power quite quickly, meaning that we'll only need three hits to knock a player out of the game entirely. Other large creatures, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="River Sneak" href="#" target="_blank">River Sneak</a>, can serve as an alternative path to victory. Plus, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wanderwine Prophets" href="#" target="_blank">Wanderwine Prophets</a> lets us chain extra turns easily. Assuming we're able to cast at least one noncreature spell with a pip per turn, we string together as many turns as we please. <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="River Sneak Wanderwine Prophets"></div></div> 
<h2>Namor the Sub-Mariner Commander Deck List</h2>
 <div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Marvel&#039;s First Mutant!" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander] *1 Namor the Sub-Mariner [/Commander] [Creatures] *1 Attuma, Atlantean Warlord *1 Emperor Mihail II *1 Floodpits Drowner *1 Forensic Researcher *1 Harbinger of the Seas *1 Junk Winder *1 Kopala, Warden of Waves *1 Lord of Atlantis *1 Lullmage Mentor *1 Master of the Pearl Trident *1 Merfolk Sovereign *1 Merrow Harbinger *1 Merrow Reejerey *1 Metallic Mimic *1 Mindspring Merfolk *1 River Sneak *1 Seafloor Oracle *1 Seahunter *1 Silvergill Douser *1 Stonybrook Banneret *1 Summon: Leviathan *1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky *1 Talrand, Sky Summoner *1 Thieving Skydiver *1 Tishana&#039;s Tidebinder *1 Titan of Littjara *1 Triton Wavebreaker *1 Vodalian Hexcatcher *1 Wanderwine Prophets [/Creatures] [Sorceries] *1 Aquitect&#039;s Will *1 Distant Melody *1 Mnemonic Deluge *1 Raise the Palisade *1 Secret of Bloodbending *1 Sorcerous Squall [/Sorceries] [Instants] *1 Archmage&#039;s Charm *1 Consider *1 Counterspell *1 Cryptic Command *1 Fated Infatuation *1 Fierce Guardianship *1 Filter Out *1 Frantic Search *1 Into the Flood Maw *1 Mental Note *1 Misdirection *1 Mission Briefing *1 Opt *1 Pongify *1 Rapid Hybridization *1 Reenact the Crime *1 Resculpt *1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs *1 Thought Scour *1 Transcendent Message [/Instants] [Enchantments] *1 Combat Research *1 Deeproot Pilgrimage *1 Deeproot Waters *1 Kindred Discovery *1 Moonlit Meditation [/Enchantments] [Battles] *1 Invasion of Segovia // Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia [/Battles] [Artifacts] *1 Arcane Signet *1 Sapphire Medallion *1 Sol Ring *1 Throne of Eldraine [/Artifacts] [Lands] *1 Agna Qel&#039;a *30 Island *1 Mistrise Village *1 Mutavault *1 Three Tree City [/Lands]"></div> 
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
 There are a few more cards that I didn't get to chat about earlier that I want to acknowledge now. One of my favorite creatures, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Triton Wavebreaker" href="#" target="_blank">Triton Wavebreaker</a>, just so happens to be a Merfolk! Bestow is a fantastic mechanic, both in flavor and function, and this enchantment creature can turn Namor into an even scarier Voltron threat. Next up, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a> might be one of the best cards in this deck. It makes two Merfolk on cast, and will let us draw tons of cards as the game goes on. The duo of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deeproot Pilgrimage" href="#" target="_blank">Deeproot Pilgrimage</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deeproot Waters" href="#" target="_blank">Deeproot Waters</a> will give us a constant stream of 1/1 Merfolk. The tokens they make even have hexproof, making them that much stronger! <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triton Wavebreaker Kindred Discovery Deeproot Pilgrimage"></div></div> Namor is such a good commander because he provides us with a substantial reward for taking normal game actions. We already want to cast a whole bunch of spells, usually ones that have a few pips in them, and our commander provides us with disposable creatures when we do so. Plus, there's lots of anthems available from this creature type's broad support over the years, meaning that we can turn those simple 1/1s into potent attackers with ease. Did I miss any of the best Merfolk? Did my description of the creatures as "Wet Elves" make you uncomfortable? Let me know in the comments below!

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A Deck Tech for Marvel's First Mutant - Namor the Sub-Mariner!