Top 10 Advisors That Draw Cards for Lo and Li, Royal Advisors

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain N&#039;ghathrod" href="#" target="_blank">Captain N&#039;ghathrod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kuzinskiy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrey Kuzinskiy</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Continuing with our Halloween theme for the past few weeks, we have one of the spookier creature types today: the Horrors. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Horrors have been part of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for quite a while, but <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Duskmourn</em></a> gave the creature type a much-needed boost. Our commander, however, hails from the criminally-underrated <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/clb" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate</em></a> set, and was recently given a <em>Secret Lair</em> reskin with the <em>Iron Maiden</em> release.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Captain N&#039;ghathrod"></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain N&#039;ghathrod" href="#" target="_blank">Captain N&#039;ghathrod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, hereafter referred to as “the Captain,” is a rare legendary Horror, and one of the few that offers support to the creature type. But how do Horrors work in <em>Magic</em>? And, like Specters, how can we make what they do palatable despite the preconceptions? </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are the questions this Commander deck tech will look to answer.</span></p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain N&#039;ghathrod" href="#" target="_blank">Captain N&#039;ghathrod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first bit of text that jumps out about the Captain is that he gives Horrors menace. Menace is the latest in black fear-related keywords, following in the vein of fear and intimidate. All of these abilities make blocking difficult for opponents, and granting one of them to the entire team can be backbreaking. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Menace, in particular, makes it so that opposing blockers have to team up to block.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consuming Aberration"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While being able to connect easier is a strong ability, the Captain’s second ability adds tremendous power to those connections. Whenever a Horror we control deals combat damage to a player, that player mills that many cards. “That many” is a potent phrase, as lifelink and <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=oracle%3Asquirrellink+%28game%3Apaper%29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">squirrellink</a> have shown. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Milling equal to our combat damage can get out of hand easily, especially with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consuming Aberration" href="#" target="_blank">Consuming Aberration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That card could even one-shot a player!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Milling is a tricky ability, however. Politically, players tend not to like having their cards put into a position where they can’t use them. And if we can’t close the door quickly enough, we run the risk of attracting a lot of salt. How can we avoid playing with our food? Well, it involves using another controversial ability.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the end of our turn, we can reanimate an artifact or creature card that was milled this turn onto the battlefield under our control. So, while the Horror aspect of our commander rips opponents’ memories from their minds, the Pirate aspect turns their worst intentions into our offense.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain N&#039;ghathrod" href="#" target="_blank">Captain N&#039;ghathrod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Mindskinner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zellix, Sanity Flayer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nemesis of Reason"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Horrors tend to care about the graveyard by either filling it, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mindskinner" href="#" target="_blank">The Mindskinner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zellix, Sanity Flayer" href="#" target="_blank">Zellix, Sanity Flayer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or by counting it, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nemesis of Reason" href="#" target="_blank">Nemesis of Reason</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guiltfeeder" href="#" target="_blank">Guiltfeeder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the latter of which is a Premodern all-star. These cards are supercharged with our commander granting our Horrors the ability to mill.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Animate Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beacon of Unrest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rise from the Grave"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Where our commander could use some help is with the reanimation. The Captain is one of a rare breed of cards that can reanimate opponents’ creatures, along with staples <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animate Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Animate Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beacon of Unrest" href="#" target="_blank">Beacon of Unrest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We can even pick up some awesome bulk bin pieces in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise from the Grave" href="#" target="_blank">Rise from the Grave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path of the Schemer" href="#" target="_blank">Path of the Schemer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to use our opponents’ threats against them.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ravenous Chupacabra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pongify"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The other way Horrors can fill the grave is by killing things. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Chupacabra" href="#" target="_blank">Ravenous Chupacabra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nasty example of this, as it’s a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flametongue Kavu" href="#" target="_blank">Flametongue Kavu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> variant that kills the target. We use removal like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pongify" href="#" target="_blank">Pongify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to put threats into the grave for our reanimation spells, which is a pretty nasty synergy.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spellskite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Negate"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Horrors can also protect our board, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spellskite" href="#" target="_blank">Spellskite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Captain is quite terrifying, so it stands to reason that he’d attract negative attention and removal. Fighting through <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spellskite" href="#" target="_blank">Spellskite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Negate" href="#" target="_blank">Negate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects makes it likely that, once we’ve sunk mana into getting our commander out, it’ll actually stick around.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nephalia Drownyard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since we want graves full, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nephalia Drownyard" href="#" target="_blank">Nephalia Drownyard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital" href="#" target="_blank">Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can power our synergies. Mill may be a controversial strategy, but it tends to go over better when we're clearly building to reanimate the threats and not to deny them. Still, when an ability is this entrenched in what the deck does, it’s good to let the table know in Rule Zero conversations.</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain N&#039;ghathrod" href="#" target="_blank">Captain N&#039;ghathrod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We aim to fill graves by any means necessary: killing, milling, or countering (sorry that didn’t rhyme), and then reanimating key threats, or just taking advantage of the piles of bodies.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Captain N&#039;ghathrod" href="#" target="_blank">Captain N&#039;ghathrod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Captain N&#039;ghathrod Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Captain N&#039;ghathrod
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Ancient Cellarspawn
*1 Brainstealer Dragon
*1 Chasm Skulker
*1 Consuming Aberration
*1 Dauthi Horror
*1 Forgotten Creation
*1 Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar
*1 Grell Philosopher
*1 Guiltfeeder
*1 Horrid Shadowspinner
*1 Hullbreaker Horror
*1 Hunted Horror
*1 Illithid Harvester // Plant Tadpoles
*1 Mind Flayer
*1 Nemesis of Reason
*1 Nighthowler
*1 Phyrexian Rager
*1 Phyrexian Revoker
*1 Ravenous Chupacabra
*1 Sewer Nemesis
*1 Silent Hallcreeper
*1 Sludge Monster
*1 Spellskite
*1 The Mindskinner
*1 Uchuulon
*1 Vashta Nerada
*1 Wharf Infiltrator
*1 Woe Strider
*1 Zellix, Sanity Flayer
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Beacon of Unrest
*1 Endless Obedience
*1 Extract from Darkness
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 From the Catacombs
*1 Necromantic Summons
*1 Path of the Schemer
*1 Psionic Ritual
*1 Rise from the Grave
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Animate Dead
*1 Quest for the Necropolis
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Baleful Mastery
*1 Counterspell
*1 Curtains&#039; Call
*1 Deadly Rollick
*1 Didn&#039;t Say Please
*1 Don&#039;t Make a Sound
*1 Fated Return
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Grisly Spectacle
*1 Infernal Grasp
*1 Negate
*1 Pongify
*1 Psychic Strike
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Swan Song
*1 Thought Collapse
*1 Withering Torment
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Command Tower
*1 Creeping Tar Pit
*1 Crypt of Agadeem
*15 Island
*1 Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital // Overture
*1 Nephalia Drownyard
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Restless Reef
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*15 Swamp
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Horrors are as terrifying to face as they are to look at. They thrive off of causing fear and drink in the memories they pour out of the skulls of their victims. If that’s for you, I hope you have a Happy Halloween!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would <em>you</em> build Horrors? And how do you and your playgroup feel about milling?</span></p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="LRWnhmBhGu"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-skeleton-kindred-with-uchbenbak-the-great-mistake/">Building Skeleton Kindred with Uchbenbak, the Great Mistake</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="bxAhBGAfHm"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-specter-typal-with-urgoros-the-empty-one/">Building Specter Typal with Urgoros, the Empty One</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building Specter Typal with Urgoros, the Empty One&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-specter-typal-with-urgoros-the-empty-one/embed/#?secret=3h6PmaIReA#?secret=bxAhBGAfHm" data-secret="bxAhBGAfHm" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="SQVQL8pGKG"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-ninja-typal-with-taeko-the-patient-avalanche/">Building Ninja Typal With Taeko, the Patient Avalanche</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building Ninja Typal With Taeko, the Patient Avalanche&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-ninja-typal-with-taeko-the-patient-avalanche/embed/#?secret=lKGi3GHknu#?secret=SQVQL8pGKG" data-secret="SQVQL8pGKG" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


Building Horror Typal with Captain N'ghathrod

Trim Down Libraries With Phenax, God of Deception

The Emperor of Palamecia - Self-Mill Commander Deck Tech

From the Brim to the Trim - Stomping your opponents Froggy style

Borderland Explorer – Soundwave, Sonic Spy

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dimir Machinations" href="#" target="_blank">Dimir Machinations</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.gregstaples.com/">Greg Staples</a>)</h6>
<h1>The Truth Hurts</h1>
<p>In Commander, it doesn’t make much sense to mill your opponents. There are certainly synergies and combos you can put together, but milling just can’t keep up.</p>
<p>Most mill cards are designed around a sixty-card deck in a one-on-one format. In Commander, you have to account for three 100-card decks.</p>
<p>Even if you go hard on politics so you only have to mill one or two opponents, you’ll likely run out of steam halfway through the game.</p>
<p>On the other hand, you can always build some alt-win contingencies into your deck. But then you’re making it even harder to focus on milling your opponents. This creates a negative feedback loop, where you need to focus even more on non-mill strategies.</p>
<p>The best way to combat this is to shift your mentality...</p>
<p><strong>Bring only chaos. Leave only suffering.</strong></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Millstone"></div></div>
<h6><em>The titular millstone, old but not forgotten.</em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Mill Yourself</h2>
<p>The most straightforward way to bring milling to any game of <em>Magic</em> is to simply mill yourself. Afterall, who’s going to stop you?</p>
<p>From Golgari’s unhealthy obsession with recycling to blue’s misunderstanding of delayed gratification, you have plenty of options at your disposal.</p>
<p>Even red looks at the graveyard and thinks “yeah, that’s where I want my cards to be.”</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Octavia, Living Thesis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anger"></div></div>
<h6><em>Self-mill may not be wise, but it can be effective.</em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>But Why Do That?</h3>
<p>The main reason to self-mill is to expedite your ability to access certain abilities.</p>
<p>You can speedrun your cards from the library to the battlefield with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muldrotha, the Gravetide" href="#" target="_blank">Muldrotha, the Gravetide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Or you can create a horde of fungus zombies with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mycotyrant" href="#" target="_blank">The Mycotyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>You might prefer a less overtly fast-tracked influence on the game. Then a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can always return the graveyard back into your hand.</p>
<p>Or you might prefer exciting and explosive turns. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underworld Breach" href="#" target="_blank">Underworld Breach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> facilitates exactly that, assuming you can pay the costs.</p>
<p>At its core, self-mill facilitates <strong>efficiency</strong> in your deck. Whatever you’re trying to do, self-milling will make it happen faster. Not only for Golgari colors, but across the color pie.</p>
<p>And if you’re playing against a black deck, maybe they’ll force some discards on you to help you out... if you ask nicely.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidisi, Brood Tyrant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grist, the Hunger Tide"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lost Monarch of Ifnir"></div></div>
<h6><em>Allowing these cards anywhere near a graveyard is a mistake.</em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Trash Your Cards</h2>
<p>But there’s more ways to get cards into your graveyard than just milling. Self-inflicted discarding and surveilling are the obvious choices.</p>
<p>But you can always sacrifice permanents that come back for round two. You can draw too many cards, being forced to discard at the end of your turn. The world is your oyster, if throwing away your hand were a pearl.</p>
<h3>Self-Discard</h3>
<p>Lowering costs a la <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer" href="#" target="_blank">Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps offset the wonky hands you’ll have trashing your cards. Discarding cards from your hand is basically playing them for free if your graveyard is accessible.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hashaton, Scarab&#039;s Fist" href="#" target="_blank">Hashaton, Scarab&#039;s Fist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> even lets you convert that into a small army! Combine this with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temmet, Naktamun&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Temmet, Naktamun&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and you can have an army of superpowered Zombies for the low cost of your entire hand.</p>
<p>A full graveyard can empower something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rielle, the Everwise" href="#" target="_blank">Rielle, the Everwise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but these sorts of cards’ strengths aren’t fully unlocked until you’re actively discarding cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hashaton, Scarab&#039;s Fist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temmet, Naktamun&#039;s Will"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rielle, the Everwise"></div></div>
<p>Assuming you have an idea in-mind for a graveyard-centric deck, any combination of self-milling, surveilling, sacrificing, and self-discarding will be useful. So how do you actually go about discarding cards?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>Blood Tokens</h4>
<p>Blood tokens give limited discard while also synergizing with artifact and Vampire decks. While not the most mana-efficient, token generation can always be expedited.</p>
<p>Plus, these have enough synergy with certain Vampire cards to keep you alive as you put your library in a shredder.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anje, Maid of Dishonor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Fountain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Odric, Blood-Cursed"></div></div>
<h6><em>These bloodsuckers are undead, the graveyard is their second home.</em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>Activated Effects</h4>
<p>Certain commanders, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anje Falkenrath" href="#" target="_blank">Anje Falkenrath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have activated abilities to discard. Others happen passively.</p>
<p>Whether used as your commander or not, having a few activated abilities to cause discards can ensure you have flexibility in your plays.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malfegor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flubs, the Fool"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sauron, the Dark Lord"></div></div>
<h6><em>If you’re already milling your library, why not discard your hand?</em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>Draw, Discard</h4>
<p>Any number of “draw a card, then discard a card” effects exist in the game. Sometimes, you even end up with net positive card draw!</p>
<p><em>Other times</em>, they have an alternative effect which is just as diabolical.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thirst for Discovery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Locust God"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrill of Possibility"></div></div>
<h6><em>Izzet really does like tinkering with trashed cards.</em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>Surveil?</h4>
<p>Surveilling is really just self-mill but with the added benefit of walking-back your choice if you want what’s on the top of your deck.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, you surveil in smaller quantities than you self-mill. Further, your graveyard is going to be accessible if you’re self-milling.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lazav, the Multifarious" href="#" target="_blank">Lazav, the Multifarious</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is nice to have in a deck that involves self-mill, self-discard, or anything similar. But surveilling as a whole isn’t really required.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nyx Weaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Magar of the Magic Strings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grolnok, the Omnivore"></div></div>
<h6><em>Your graveyard really is just a second hand at this point.</em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>What About Them?</h2>
<p>Up until now, this article was focused on self-mill, self-discard, and similar attributes. The reason is simply because mill on a three-way split with 100-card decks isn’t as feasible as other formats.</p>
<p>However, that isn’t to say you are <em>unable</em> to implement it.</p>
<p>There are really two specific flavors of targeted milling when it comes to Commander. You can either focus on milling one person at a time. Or you can focus on milling everyone at once.</p>
<h3>One Person</h3>
<p>While not the fastest method of winning, focusing your mill on a single player at a time gives you the ability to negotiate who you’ll mill and when. You aren’t making enemies by accidentally ruining the plan of the person next to you.</p>
<p>Just be aware, this means you’re vulnerable to “one-and-done” syndrome. That being, where you make an alliance with one player, you each take out a target, and then you’re in a one-on-one.</p>
<p>Given that in order to properly mill a 100-card deck you likely spent most of your resources, you might not be able to mill your former partner fast enough. Particularly given how late in the game this confrontation would take place.</p>
<p>Just don’t focus all your mill on a single player and you’ll be fine. <strong>Always have a contingency</strong>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Captain N&#039;ghathrod"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phenax, God of Deception"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Mindskinner"></div></div>
<h6><em>A selection of cards to ensure one specific player has a bad time.</em></h6>
<h3>Everyone</h3>
<p>Certainly the more expressive option of the two options, this very might paint a target on your back. You might not be the largest threat, but you’re quite the large and painful thorn in the side of everyone.</p>
<p>That being said, there’s a few ways to go about this.</p>
<p>The most straightforward is to play cards that mill everyone. Or if you’re feeling protective of your own library, cards that mill everyone else.</p>
<p>This won’t tend to win you games on their own, but multiple of them add up over time. Particularly when paired with a more targeted approach.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ruin Crab"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fractured Sanity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mindcrank"></div></div>
<h6><em>None of these are subtle, though they certainly are effective.</em></h6>
<p>Further, there are cards that scale off of milling or otherwise have some sort of synergy with it. Use these to supplement your main sources of milling.</p>
<p>Don’t pivot away from your core strategy, but make sure you can support yourself while working through it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syr Konrad, the Grim"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wise Mothman"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consuming Aberration"></div></div>
<h6><em>Not every card that mills is about the sheer volume.</em></h6>
<p>You can put the pressure on the pod, decreasing hand sizes across the board in order to make every decision count. Afterall, you can make a deck that thrives off of your hand size being slashed in half. Why can’t they?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Deal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Winter, Misanthropic Guide"></div></div>
<h6><em>This is certainly the most direct of the various methods.</em></h6>
<h3>Just Exile Them</h3>
<p>Sometimes you don’t want to mill your opponents, you want to remove them from existence. Their cards, not the opponent's. Though when I go up against an Eldrazi deck, I certainly would prefer if my opponent ceased to exist.</p>
<p>Which is why it’s so fitting that the Ingest keyword is typical to Eldrazi Drones. Exiling the top card of your opponent’s deck when you deal damage to them isn’t a lot. But anything that copies creatures or can transfer Ingest?</p>
<p>Or even just using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crumbling Sanctuary" href="#" target="_blank">Crumbling Sanctuary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with otherwise normal beatdown strategies? That’s how you remove a library from existence.</p>
<p>Pair it with the aforementioned milling strategies and even a Golgari player can’t turn it to their advantage. Blue players will help you along with all their card draw. White’s ability to exile and gain life doesn’t help when you’re playing off the battlefield.</p>
<p>Even red players will get hesitant to impulse draw if you’re slashing their deck.</p>
<p>While they can exile the top card of their deck and play it that turn, should they? When they’re just speeding their time to deck-out?</p>
<p>If this specific strain of milling appeals to you, check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/too-specific-top-10-mill">this article</a> all about exiling-as-milling, plus a listing of some of the most notorious milling cards out there.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jace, the Mind Sculptor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger"></div></div>
<h6><em>If you see these, I hope you aren’t too attached to your library.</em></h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Why Mill?</h2>
<p>To mill in Commander is to show up to a game with chaos in your heart and an underdog mentality. You are purposely putting yourself at a disadvantage in order to make a more interesting game dynamic.</p>
<p>I respect that. I’ll curse your name and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murder" href="#" target="_blank">Murder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> any <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruin Crab" href="#" target="_blank">Ruin Crab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on sight, but it’s certainly a respectable way to play! Particularly in the case where targeted milling is used as a force of negotiation.</p>
<p>The ability to promise “not” to do something is <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-unoptimized-group-hugs">just as powerful as anything a Group Hug can provide.</a> It’s much like countering in that respect, but that’s for another article.</p>
<p>Remember to always mill responsibly!</p>


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