Deck Tech: Gandalf, Goblins' Bane

Commander Deck Tech: Bilbo, Thief in the Night

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gandalf of the Secret Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Gandalf of the Secret Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.matthew-stewart.com/">Matt Stewart</a></em></p>
<h2>Many Meetings</h2>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>! <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/gwen-stacy-ghost-spider-commander-deck-tech-2">Last week</a>, I asked if the <em>DnD</em> sets counted as <em>Universes Beyond</em>. The consensus is that they do count as part of the product line, so I'll treat them as such. Also, I said that I had a plan for this week's deck, and I certainly do. It's a deck I tried to get out earlier this year, but nothing was working, so I left it behind. That is, until now. So, what is it I'm planning exactly?</p>
<h3>A Wizard is Never Late, Nor is He Early</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gandalf of the Secret Fire"></div></div>
<p>Everyone knows who Gandalf is, especially if they've either read the books or watched that legendary trilogy. He was also in <em>The Hobbit</em>, but his role was minor by comparison. Having said that, I won't dive into his lore beyond that since he's so well known.</p>
<p>Reading the card, we could see why I've had a hard time trying to figure the card out. When I came back to it a while later, though, the pieces fell into place. One, in particular, stood out to me: What if I made the deck using only instants? I can't say it's possible, because most board wipes are sorceries. However, we're putting a heavy focus on instants and since we're suspending them we'll need to be careful with our selection. We're getting to that below.</p>
<h3>Instant Gratification</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares|fic|256"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reverse the Polarity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Olórin&#039;s Searing Light"></div></div>
<p>At its heart, this iteration of Gandalf is a spellslinger list, especially since he affects sorceries as well. That said, there wasn't anything within the <em>Universes Beyond</em> card pool that can give sorceries flash (at time of writing). I've had an identical problem when I was making the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashad, the Lone Cyberman" href="#" target="_blank">Ashad, the Lone Cyberman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck from <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/beyond-the-multiverse-rise-of-the-cyberheads">earlier this year.</a> The solution? Hamfist a bunch of instants into the deck, but even then we have to be selective about what goes in. Another solution would be to add certain in-universe cards, but I'll cover those in a later section.</p>
<p>For starters, we can't simply run our average <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell|mar|9" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It'll do nothing when we cast it off suspend (unless we're into countering your own stuff). Instead, our counterspells pack more utility. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reverse the Polarity" href="#" target="_blank">Reverse the Polarity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be used initially to counter a spell, but when cast from exile, one of the other two modes could be selected instead. Doing this means it wouldn't be a dead card. A more recent example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="School Daze" href="#" target="_blank">School Daze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, counters a spell the first time, but can draw us cards instead on upkeep.</p>
<p>Another thing worth noting is that a lot of instants tend to be spot removal, so there's bound to be a lot that make it into a decklist. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares|fic|256" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Olórin&#039;s Searing Light" href="#" target="_blank">Olórin&#039;s Searing Light</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two examples of this. Protection spells are another common trend, but be wary of those that phase out our stuff. It's best to play those when Gandalf isn't around, ironically.</p>
<h3>Sorcerer's Drought</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wedding of River Song"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cleansing Nova"></div></div>
<p>Remember when I implied that the number of sorceries will be few? I seriously mean it. The decklist below has a paltry four sorceries to its name, and they do either one of two things: wipe the board, or time travel. Time travel cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wedding of River Song" href="#" target="_blank">The Wedding of River Song</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are useful because they speed up the clock, allowing us to cast our suspended cards from exile faster. Unfortunately, while we do have a few other time travel cards, their numbers are few, even in-universe, but we make do with what we have.</p>
<p>On the other hand, we're running few creatures, and we need to keep those aggro decks in check, so we rely on board wipes to do that for us. I do think the deck could benefit from another wipe, but that'd be for another time. Probably <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Austere Command|fic|231" href="#" target="_blank">Austere Command</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, if I had to pick one.</p>
<p>Outside of those, the instants easily shore up the other categories we need to cover. Artifacts, too, but that's mostly ramp in a Gandalf deck anyway.</p>
<h3>Gandalf's Spellbook</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond - The Secret Fire" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Gandalf of the Secret Fire
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Amazing Acrobatics
*1 Battle Menu
*1 Big Score
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Bottle-Cap Blast
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Cloud&#039;s Limit Break
*1 Consider
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Cryptic Command
*1 Cyber Conversion
*1 Destroy Evil
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Flame of Anor
*1 Flawless Maneuver
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Laughing Mad
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Mystic Confluence
*1 Olórin&#039;s Searing Light
*1 Opt
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Restoration Magic
*1 Reverberate
*1 Reverse the Polarity
*1 School Daze
*1 Spectacular Tactics
*1 Stroke of Midnight
*1 Sublime Epiphany
*1 Surge of Brilliance
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Valorous Stance
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Archmage Emeritus
*1 Baral, Chief of Compliance
*1 Erebor Flamesmith
*1 Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch
*1 Flaming Tyrannosaurus
*1 Guttersnipe
*1 Keeper of Secrets
*1 Mathise, Surge Channeler
*1 Pink Horror
*1 Time Beetle
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Fiery Inscription
*1 Shadow of the Goblin
*1 Spider-Verse
*1 The Lost and the Damned
*1 The Parting of the Ways
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Conviction
*1 Talisman of Creativity
*1 Talisman of Progress
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 The Wedding of River Song
*1 Wibbly-wobbly, Timey-wimey
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 City of Brass
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Frostboil Snarl
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Glacial Fortress
*6 Island
*6 Mountain
*1 Mystic Monastery
*1 Path of Ancestry
*6 Plains
*1 Port Town
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Stormcarved Coast
*1 Sulfur Falls
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Vibrant Cityscape
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>A Wizard Goes to War</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guttersnipe|ltc|220"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spider-Verse"></div></div>
<p>I already covered much of what could be in a given list, but I do want to highlight a few more cards. Firstly, the main way we win is through the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe|ltc|220" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. There's several of them, including a couple of enchantments, so finding one of these isn't going to be too difficult. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keeper of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Keeper of Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won't be bringing opponents' life totals down so quickly here, but it can be useful spot removal. However, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flaming Tyrannosaurus" href="#" target="_blank">Flaming Tyrannosaurus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will end games if enough counters are on it.</p>
<p>Coming from the recent but much-maligned <em>Spider-Man</em> set are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spider-Verse" href="#" target="_blank">Spider-Verse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadow of the Goblin" href="#" target="_blank">Shadow of the Goblin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The former copies spells that come out of suspend while the latter will ping opponents for each one. Then, once they hit the graveyard, we can bring them back with cards like <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> (who is also one of our pingers, by the way) and cast them again.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Lost and the Damned" href="#" target="_blank">The Lost and the Damned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will accrue a considerable board presence the more instants we cast from exile. Either we could attack with them, or we could turtle up and be on the defensive. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Beetle" href="#" target="_blank">Time Beetle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an evasive creature that, when it connects, will allow us to time travel, perhaps to help amass that token army faster. In addition, while not in the deck (an oversight), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ninth Doctor" href="#" target="_blank">The Ninth Doctor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can untap to give us an additional upkeep, speeding up the clock if he survives combat.</p>
<h3>Looking Beyond the Horizon</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leyline of Anticipation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm-Kiln Artist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whirlwind of Thought"></div></div>
<p>Peering through in-universe cards brings with it a massive boon: casting cards at instant speed. Stuff like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Anticipation" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Anticipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="High Fae Trickster" href="#" target="_blank">High Fae Trickster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> means that we can even cast sorceries at instant speed, enabling Gandalf to suspend them with his trigger. That said, we can't depend too heavily on these cards, since they're not common.</p>
<p>Also, since they're noncreature spells, we'll draw cards off of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whirlwind of Thought" href="#" target="_blank">Whirlwind of Thought</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Speaking of benefiting off of casting instants and sorceries, one of the best is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm-Kiln Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Storm-Kiln Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who'll ramp us with each one. With Gandalf, that'll be two Treasures per spell. Also, we get a couple extra Guttersnipe effects with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firebrand Archer" href="#" target="_blank">Firebrand Archer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Flamebreather" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Flamebreather</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Some other noteworthy cards include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delayed Blast Fireball" href="#" target="_blank">Delayed Blast Fireball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can't be foretold if we want to suspend it with Gandalf's trigger, but it's still a good wipe. The other usual <em>DnD </em>exile suspects are good, too, though <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Passionate Archaeologist" href="#" target="_blank">Passionate Archaeologist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be part of our <em>Universes Beyond </em>card pool very soon.</p>
<h3>Sailing Into the West</h3>
<p>With this article, it brings closure to one of my more frustrating builds to make. I'm not sure why it took me this long to see it, but then again, it's not my typical build. Moving on, as I hinted above with Passionate Archaeologist, we did get news of more <em>Secret Lair</em> drops, especially the <em>Playstation</em> ones. In fact, I'm going to be covering at least one of these drops. Come back next time when I do just that (and I might do things a little differently. A kind of build I would do).</p>


Beyond the Multiverse - Gandalf's Secret Fire

<p>Happy Hobbit Day! On Monday, September 22nd, Wizards of the Coast celebrated the birthdays of both Bilbo Baggins and his nephew Frodo by teasing something new out of Middle-Earth. What could it be? Well, to make a long story short, we don't know yet. However, we can always make some educated guesses, so read on, and we'll do just that!</p>
<h2>The Social Media Hobbit Day Post</h2>
<p>On Hobbit Day, Wizards of the Coast shared <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO6YB25gYOG/">an interesting video</a> on its major social media channels. Timed at less than a minute long, it shows a Hobbit-Hole in the Shire. However, this is likely not just <em>any</em> Hobbit-Hole, but is likely Bag-End. For those of you who may have missed any of the particulars from <em>Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frodo Baggins" href="#" target="_blank">Frodo Baggins</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lives in Bag-End. Furthermore, he inherited Bag-End from his uncle, Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo, much like Frodo, was an adventurer, consigned by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gandalf the Grey" href="#" target="_blank">Gandalf the Grey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to venture out and find his destiny. Both chanced upon a particularly ornery (and at times rather pathetic) creature called Gollum, and both found themselves in the possession of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The One Ring" href="#" target="_blank">The One Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frodo Baggins"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gandalf the Grey"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gollum, Patient Plotter"></div></div>
<p>To this end, because Wizards of the Coast haven't yet confirmed anything surrounding this social media post, we don't know if this is a continuation of <em>Lord of the Rings</em> product or if it's really <em>The Hobbit</em>. However, chances are high that this is the latter, due to the runes etched into the door of Bag-End. Whether this is a full tentpole set or a <em>Secret Lair</em> drop remains up in the air, but the possibility that this is about Bilbo's unexpected journey is pretty high.</p>
<p>With that, I want to open the floor to you, dear readers! What do you think? Will we see a new set come of this? Or will this be a <em>Secret Lair</em> drop? We are likely to find out this Friday with the preview panel for MagicCon Atlanta. But what are your guesses? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


middle earth

Deck Tech: Gandalf, Goblins' Bane

Commander Deck Tech: Bilbo, Thief in the Night

Beyond the Multiverse - Gandalf's Secret Fire

Wizards of the Coast Teases Middle-Earth Product for Hobbit Day