<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ekthi, Contaminator Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Ekthi, Contaminator Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/faribakhamseh">Fariba Khamseh</a></span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I've been playing a lot of Vintage Cube recently, which has led me to cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nettlecyst" href="#" target="_blank">Nettlecyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a good few times. That card rocks in artifact-centric decks, and I've become quite fond of its living weapon ability. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having an Equipment enter the battlefield as an instant threat, rather than requiring further mana investment for a realized benefit, is super strong. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So when I saw Ekthi as the very first card from the upcoming <em>Mystery Booster</em> product, I jumped at the opportunity! Let's see what's up with this Phyrexian Cleric.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ekthi, Contaminator Priest"></div></div></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Does Ekthi </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Do?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Ekthi is a 3/3 that gives all of our other Phryexians +1/+1. It also gives each of our Equipments living weapon, allowing us to create a 0/0 Phyrexian Germ and attach the Equipment to that Germ when an Equipment enters the battlefield.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Germ"></div></div>
<p>Equipment with living weapon tend to cost a bit more than tradtional cards in the category, because they come pre-equipped on a disposable creature.</p>
<p>When we get into the 99 I've put together for Ekthi, you'll see that providing what amounts to a free equip to every Equipment we cast can get out of hand quickly. Some Equipment are balanced by high activated ability costs, after all.</p>
<p>In a roundabout way, I'm reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruenor Battlehammer" href="#" target="_blank">Bruenor Battlehammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both of these commanders allow us to put Equipment on our creatures for free, and buff those creatures too. But, Breunor's buff is purely offensive while Ekthi's anthem allows our Germs to live on after our Equipment are detached!</p>
<p>We'll use Ekthi's abilities to cheat on equip costs, making some of the best Equipment in Commander even better. We'll crash through with evasive, bulky creatures and make great use of some recently printed cards as we cruise to victory.</p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key Cards for </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ekthi</span></h2>
<p>The best Equipment in this entire deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossus Hammer" href="#" target="_blank">Colossus Hammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Assuming we've got our commander on the field, we can spend just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to put an 11/11 Phyrexian Germ onto the board with this artifact. That's an unbeatable rate, and comes with virtually no drawbacks!</p>
<p>We can create other big bodies with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nettlecyst" href="#" target="_blank">Nettlecyst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blackblade Reforged" href="#" target="_blank">Blackblade Reforged</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hulkbuster Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Hulkbuster Armor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>All of these Equipment let us pay a pretty small amount of mana for a huge body! If we want to stack a bunch of modifications onto one creature, though, we can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golem-Skin Gauntlets" href="#" target="_blank">Golem-Skin Gauntlets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swordsman&#039;s Steel" href="#" target="_blank">Swordsman&#039;s Steel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thran Power Suit" href="#" target="_blank">Thran Power Suit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>That play pattern can be useful in getting through board stalls, especially if we group those Equipment on an evasive creature like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cid, Freeflier Pilot" href="#" target="_blank">Cid, Freeflier Pilot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossus Hammer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blackblade Reforged"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golem-Skin Gauntlets"></div></div>
<p>There's also a great supporting cast of creatures in this deck. <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is the best color for Equipment in Commander, after all, so I've slotted card advantage engines like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armored Skyhunter" href="#" target="_blank">Armored Skyhunter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, tutors like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and even life gain enablers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haliya, Guided by Light" href="#" target="_blank">Haliya, Guided by Light</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into this deck.</p>
<p>I want to talk about Haliya a bit more, though, because she's fantastic in this deck specificially. She'll let us gain one point of life when an Equipment enters, and let us gain another when the Germ token our commander creates hits the field. If we're casting more than one spell per turn, odds are we'll gain the requisite life to draw a card with her!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Armored Skyhunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haliya, Guided by Light"></div></div>
<p>Because Equipment are artifacts, I've included some neat removal spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Banish to Another Universe" href="#" target="_blank">Banish to Another Universe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dispatch" href="#" target="_blank">Dispatch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>These cards will be operating at maximum effectiveness throughout the game, providing us with great effects for just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p>Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fabrication Foundry" href="#" target="_blank">Fabrication Foundry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will let us cast our Equipment more easily while also serving as a repeatable way to bring artifacts back from the beyond.</p>
<p>This is great to have, as cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossus Hammer" href="#" target="_blank">Colossus Hammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will likely be targeted with opposing removal early and often.</p>
<p>To round out the artifact synergy package, I added in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thousand Moons Smithy" href="#" target="_blank">Thousand Moons Smithy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We can tap Equipment with little consequence to flip this card over, and then use it to flood the board with increasingly frightening Gnomes!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Banish to Another Universe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fabrication Foundry"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thousand Moons Smithy"></div></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does This </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Commander Deck Win?</span></h2>
<p>We'll be able to take some pretty big bites out of opposing life totals with our equipped Germs. But, in case we need a bit of extra help, I've included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Andúril, Narsil Reforged" href="#" target="_blank">Andúril, Narsil Reforged</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>We'll have a pretty wide board, allowing us to ascend with ease, and making the pair of +1/+1 counters that this blade puts on our creatures even more potent. If we've got just five creatures on the battlefield, this Equipment provides us with a boost of 10 power and toughness each turn!</p>
<p>If we're in the mood for keyword soup, we can cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Long-Lost Lances" href="#" target="_blank">Long-Lost Lances</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (from the <em>Hobbit</em> scene box) to provide all of our creatures with first strike and vigilance. Those are both super powerful combat abilities, and it's crazy strong to dole them our 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>.</p>
<p>But, what's better than first strike? Double strike! I've included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Halvar, God of Battle" href="#" target="_blank">Halvar, God of Battle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to double the combat effectiveness of our 99. This deity will make our creatures hit twice as hard, and can help us shuffle Equipment around if we feel inclined to do so.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Andúril, Narsil Reforged"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Long-Lost Lances"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Halvar, God of Battle"></div></div>
<p>Finally, I wanted to talk a bit about the Phyrexian side of this decklist. All of the tokens that our commander creates have that creature type, as does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elesh Norn" href="#" target="_blank">Elesh Norn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This four-drop is a neat control piece on its face, but it can become a potent one-sided board wipe when transformed.</p>
<p>If we manage to get all the way to chapter three, we'll wipe almost everything out of existence (except for our Equipment and the Phrexyian Germ tokens that they're attached to). Other Phyrexians in our 99, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Censor" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Censor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrawling Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Scrawling Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will be spared too.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elesh Norn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Censor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrawling Crawler"></div></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ekthi, Contaminator Priest Commander Deck List</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ethikal Hoops" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ekthi, Contaminator Priest
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist
*1 Armored Skyhunter
*1 Balan, Wandering Knight
*1 Cid, Freeflier Pilot
*1 Cloud, Midgar Mercenary
*1 Codsworth, Handy Helper
*1 Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings
*1 Haliya, Guided by Light
*1 Halvar, God of Battle // Sword of the Realms
*1 Kemba, Kha Enduring
*1 Kíli the Resourceful
*1 Leonin Shikari
*1 Myr Convert
*1 Phyrexian Censor
*1 Plague Myr
*1 Puresteel Paladin
*1 Scrawling Crawler
*1 Skrelv, Defector Mite
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Stoneforge Mystic
*1 Stonehewer Giant
*1 Suture Priest
*1 Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow
*1 Zenith Chronicler
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Banish to Another Universe
*1 Forge Anew
*1 Mantle of the Ancients
*1 Skrelv&#039;s Hive
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Adaptive Omnitool
*1 Andúril, Narsil Reforged
*1 Basilisk Collar
*1 Bitterthorn, Nissa&#039;s Animus
*1 Blackblade Reforged
*1 Buster Sword
*1 Colossus Hammer
*1 Conformer Shuriken
*1 Fabrication Foundry
*1 Golem-Skin Gauntlets
*1 Hulkbuster Armor
*1 Lavaspur Boots
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Long-Lost Lances
*1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Nazgûl Battle-Mace
*1 Nettlecyst
*1 Pip-Boy 3000
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Hearth and Home
*1 Sword of Vengeance
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Swordsman&#039;s Steel
*1 Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand
*1 Thran Power Suit
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Phyrexian Rebirth
*1 Sunfall
*1 White Sun&#039;s Twilight
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Dispatch
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Razorgrass Ambush // Razorgrass Field
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Abandoned Air Temple
*1 Adagia, Windswept Bastion
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
*1 Inkmoth Nexus
*1 Monumental Henge
*26 Plains
*1 The Mycosynth Gardens
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Mystery Booster Commander Edition</em> has brought some really interesting cards to the format. We've seen references to obscure characters in <em>Magic</em>'s vast lore, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sash and Waistcoat, Unmen" href="#" target="_blank">Sash and Waistcoat, Unmen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, printed alongside what will surely be format-warping bombs, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Uugguu, the Omniplasm" href="#" target="_blank">Uugguu, the Omniplasm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sash and Waistcoat, Unmen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Uugguu, the Omniplasm"></div></div>
<p>I'm all for interesting new commanders, especially if it means I can write a deck tech about one of them, but some of these cards give me pause.</p>
<p>The rulebreaker cards are fun, but may lead to somewhat generic gameplay. Let's look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Everforger" href="#" target="_blank">The Everforger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as an example. It's great that we can include a wider variety of artifacts (and basic lands) in our 99, as that <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=%28%28t%3Aartifact+and+t%3Acreature%29+or+t%3Aequipment%29+commander%3Acolorless+game%3Apaper+legal%3Aedh&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=name">opens up a full 800 cards</a> for us to potentially place in a decklist.</p>
<p>But, in that case, why not just build an artifact-centric deck with more colors in its identity, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breya, Etherium Shaper" href="#" target="_blank">Breya, Etherium Shaper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Everforger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breya, Etherium Shaper"></div></div>
<p>As another example, let's look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seluma, Light of Aysen" href="#" target="_blank">Seluma, Light of Aysen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. She lets us put all of Commander's Angels into one deck!</p>
<p>That's neat, but there's just three Angels outside of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> that synergize with other Angels in any meaningful way.</p>
<p>Seluma will differ from a typical, mono-colored Angels deck by the inclusion of some curve-toppers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aurelia, the Law Above" href="#" target="_blank">Aurelia, the Law Above</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and some synergy pieces like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Errant and Giada" href="#" target="_blank">Errant and Giada</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But, the deck will be largely the same as other Angelic lists!</p>
<p>I struggle to see the merit in bending commander's rules so heavily for such a minor difference in gameplay.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seluma, Light of Aysen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aurelia, the Law Above"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Errant and Giada"></div></div>
<p>I'm curious to hear your thoughts on <em>Mystery Booster</em><em> Commander</em>, and on rulebreaker cards specifically. Drop me a line in the comments, and thanks for reading.</p>


mbc

Build a Mono White Equipment Commander Deck with Ekthi, Contaminator Priest

Maular, the Next Evolution | Tech the Deck