<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adelbert Steiner" href="#" target="_blank">Adelbert Steiner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/lorenzomastroianni" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lorenzo Mastroianni</a></em></p>
<p>It's very much my job here as the writer of <em>The Monolith</em>, aside from talking about monocolored decks of course, to tempt you in to building decks that aren't your standard fare. Decks that forgo obviousness and power for interesting ideas and fun restrictions. What better time then, as we continue to pick apart the legendary creatures revealed in the upcoming <em>Universes Beyond</em> set <em>Final Fantasy</em>, to talk about Pauper EDH!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adelbert Steiner"></div></div>
<p>Now I'm not the first person to delve into the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/does-shantotto-work-as-a-pauper-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wonderful world of Pauper Commander</a> here on EDHREC.com. But when a set comes out with this many legends, some of them are bound to be non-rares. We had the same thing happen in <em>Lord of The Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth</em>. And when you've got access to uncommon legends with interesting effects, why not whack together a PEDH deck to fit around them!</p>
<h2>What Is Pauper Commander (PEDH)?</h2>
<p>Much like the absolutely wonderful 60-card format it's based on, Pauper EDH carries all the same rules that Commander does, but with one exception. You can only put a card in your deck if it was printed at common at some point in its history.</p>
<p>That includes cards that have been up-shifted in rarity in later sets, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As long as it was common at some point in <em>Magic</em>'s history, it's legal in PEDH. Otherwise, you can't put it in your 99. As for the commander itself though, you're allowed to push up to the uncommon rarity.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guttersnipe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soulherder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Third Path Iconoclast"></div></div>
<p>The fun thing is, your uncommon commander doesn't even have to be legendary. You can play with regular old uncommons as your leader. That'll give you access to super powerful creatures you wouldn't normally be able to put in your command zone, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guttersnipe" href="#" target="_blank">Guttersnipe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soulherder" href="#" target="_blank">Soulherder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<h2>Adelbert's Finer</h2>
<p>To helm our Pauper EDH list we're looking at the brand new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adelbert Steiner" href="#" target="_blank">Adelbert Steiner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> 2/1 Human Knight with an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All That Glitters" href="#" target="_blank">All That Glitters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> style effect on him. For each Equipment you control, Adelbert will get +1/+1. That's not Equipment attached to Adelbert either, that's just any Equipment you have on the battlefield.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adelbert Steiner"></div></div>
<p>Combined with lifelink, we've got ourselves the potential for a really juicy, Equipment focused, Voltron Commander build. For those not in the know, <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/voltron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Voltron decks</a> attempt to whack as many buffs onto a single creature they control as possible - usually your commander, so you can kill opponents even easier. Once they're big enough, swing in for the win!</p>
<h2>Free Real Estate</h2>
<p>As Adelbert gets a buff just from the Equipment hitting the field, we'll sort of get to have our cake and eat it too. Whereas most Voltrons would either need to pay for the equip cost of their Equipment, or have an ability to get around that, Adelbert can receive a small benefit right away.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All That Glitters"></div></div>
<p>Then later, when we actually get the Equipment attached to him, we'll be double dipping with the buffs it provides. And that's if we even want to equip to him. By having another big threat with all the Equipment attached to them we can also split our attacks as we see fit.</p>
<h2>The Living Weapon</h2>
<p>Seeing as Adelbert doesn't mind where your Equipment cards are when he's checking for his buffs, we can use a certain type of Equipment to give us a bit of an edge in battle.</p>
<p>Equipment cards are great in comparison to Auras, because they won't send themselves to the graveyard when their attached creature leaves the battlefield. We can even use the equip ability to swap our swords and shields round to whichever creature needs them on the fly.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flayer Husk"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sickleslicer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skinwing"></div></div>
<p>The tradeoff though, is that Auras attach themselves as soon as you cast them. Equipment gets cast, and then needs additional buy-in to attach it to your creature. Enter: living weapon cards. These Equipment cards will enter the battlefield and immediately attach themselves to a token they make when they enter.</p>
<p>There's only so many Pauper legal living weapons, but a few other cards do the same thing. For Mirrodin! was a very similar mechanic from <em>All Will Be One</em>, for example.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirran Bardiche"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancestral Blade"></div></div>
<h3>Leave Something Back</h3>
<p>One of the trickier aspects of playing a Voltron Commander deck is keeping yourself alive after you've swung. It's all well and good having a giant commander, but once they're tapped, who's defending your life total? Vigilance is great for that but so is just having some chump blockers available - especially when your opponents are going wide.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glimmerlight"></div></div>
<p>By using these cards that come with an extra body, we can hold the line after Adelbert attacks. And if we end up getting Adelbert killed so many times that his commander tax is untenable? There's backup options to fight with. Speaking of...</p>
<h2>Forking Your Voltron</h2>
<p>As I mentioned earlier, Adelbert can get a decent amount of pump without actually equipping our weapons. With that in mind, we have the option to fork off our damage between two different creatures. That way we'll get slightly less powerful creatures, but having two means we can swing at multiple players.</p>
<p>This is a four-person format, after all. And targeting down one player can leave our other two opponents a little too much space to build up their game plans.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gingerbrute"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guardian of the Guildpact"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beloved Princess"></div></div>
<p>If we want some solid targets for the wall of weapons we'll be equipping them with, we need to find something that'll get through our opponents' blockers. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guardian of the Guildpact" href="#" target="_blank">Guardian of the Guildpact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have really solid evasion, with protection from monocolored giving it a good chance of slipping through the cracks of our opponents' defenses. Not to mention dodging a lot of removal!</p>
<p>Likewise, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gingerbrute" href="#" target="_blank">Gingerbrute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can punish players who aren't equipped with hasty creatures by making itself all but unblockable. That'll teach you for not playing mono-red!</p>
<h2>Choosing the Right Gear</h2>
<p>The main consideration for building out Adelbert's arsenal is which Equipment cards we include in our 99. First of all, we're going to need a lot of them! In this deck we're going to favor quantity over quality, so low cost Equipments are best (unless they come with a friend).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Saw"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bonesplitter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leather Armor"></div></div>
<p>We also want to keep an eye out for any gear that'll give Adelbert some evasion tactics to make it over walls of blockers. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bladed Pinions" href="#" target="_blank">Bladed Pinions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will put in some vital keywords for our Voltron commander, like flying and first strike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haunted Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Haunted Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will help as well with trample and vigilance allowing us to hit over and also keep our commander up to block.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bladed Pinions"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haunted Cloak"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whispersilk Cloak"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whispersilk Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Whispersilk Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make our glorious leader unblockable and also give him protection from removal, but remember to equip it last as the shroud will also stop <em>us</em> from targeting him when it comes to attach more Equipment.</p>
<h3>Double Your Benefits</h3>
<p>Whilst it might be banned in regular 60-card Pauper, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="All That Glitters" href="#" target="_blank">All That Glitters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (from what I can tell, anyway) is perfectly legal in PEDH. Adding this Aura to Adelbert will double his buff from Equipment cards as well as giving some additional power and toughness for any other artifacts or enchantments you control.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All That Glitters"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golem-Skin Gauntlets"></div></div>
<p>And don't sleep on <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> either. It might only affect the power of our commander and not benefit his toughness, but cards that say "for each" on them can get out of hand fast. Why do you think we're building this commander?</p>
<h2>Carry Some Protection</h2>
<p>A word of warning: whilst it might not have the flashiest removal spells in <em>Magic, </em>Pauper does tend to be quite removal heavy! It's worth padding the deck out with a few options to protect Adelbert from harm when swinging in for big damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blacksmith&#039;s Skill"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Benevolent Bodyguard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani&#039;s Presence"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blacksmith&#039;s Skill" href="#" target="_blank">Blacksmith&#039;s Skill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best instant-speed protection spells in the game, let alone Pauper. But we can also run a few permanent versions to have in our back pocket for when we need them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benevolent Bodyguard" href="#" target="_blank">Benevolent Bodyguard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> acts as a perfect fit, giving us a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Savior" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Savior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> style protection effect we can activate at instant speed. But also allowing us to make Adelbert unblockable by any monocolored boards.</p>
<h2>Adelbert Steiner PEDH Decklist</h2>
<p>If you're interested in joining the PEDH community and giving Adelbert a build, I've included a rough example decklist below that you can build yourself or just jump off from. If you're new to Pauper in general I highly recommend giving either the Commander variant or 60-card competitive format a go. The latter is my absolute favorite way to play <em>Magic;</em> it's a format that just keeps on giving.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Adelbert Steiner Pauper EDH" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Adelbert Steiner
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Beloved Princess
*1 Benevolent Bodyguard
*1 Coalition Honor Guard
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Gingerbrute
*1 Guardian of the Guildpact
*1 Inspiring Overseer
*1 Outlaw Medic
*1 Voyager Quickwelder
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 +2 Mace
*1 Amorphous Axe
*1 Ancestral Blade
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Armory of Iroas
*1 Bladed Pinions
*1 Blight Sickle
*1 Bonder&#039;s Ornament
*1 Bone Saw
*1 Bonesplitter
*1 Candy Trail
*1 Ceremonial Knife
*1 Darksteel Axe
*1 Delver&#039;s Torch
*1 Flayer Husk
*1 Fountain of Ichor
*1 Gilded Pinions
*1 Glimmerlight
*1 Gold Pan
*1 Golden Egg
*1 Goldvein Pick
*1 Goldwarden&#039;s Helm
*1 Golem-Skin Gauntlets
*1 Greataxe
*1 Haunted Cloak
*1 Jalum Tome
*1 Leather Armor
*1 Mandibular Kite
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirran Bardiche
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Prying Blade
*1 Relic of Progenitus
*1 Sickleslicer
*1 Skinwing
*1 Utility Knife
*1 Vorrac Battlehorns
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 All That Glitters
*1 Benevolent Blessing
*1 Journey to Nowhere
*1 Oblivion Ring
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Afterlife
*1 Ajani&#039;s Presence
*1 Blacksmith&#039;s Skill
*1 Break Ties
*1 Crib Swap
*1 Destroy Evil
*1 Frantic Salvage
*1 Lens Flare
*1 Thraben Charm
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Jolted Awake
*1 Recommission
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Avishkar Raceway
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Desert of the True
*1 Escape Tunnel
*1 Haunted Fengraf
*1 Idyllic Grange
*29 Plains
*1 Secluded Steppe
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="Fn8wMpFCKJ"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/does-shantotto-work-as-a-pauper-commander/">Does Shantotto Work as a Pauper Commander?</a></p></blockquote>
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PEDH Voltron With Adelbert Steiner

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zhalfirin Void" href="#" target="_blank">Zhalfirin Void</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <a href="https://www.chasestoneart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chase Stone</a></em></p>
<p>When playing <em>Magic</em>, there’s a certain separation of powers across the colors you can reasonably expect to see.</p>
<p>If you’re playing against a black deck, you can expect them to destroy your permanents. Some of your creatures may die, but that is a sacrifice they’re willing to make. Literally. They’ll sacrifice their own permanents all the same. Discarding. Direct damage. Graveyard retrieval. Hallmarks of a black deck and something you need to prepare for when facing one.</p>
<p>Except, of course, if you’re following <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-play-black-differently-in-edh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this series</a> and are looking to do something a little different. Then you might encounter a black deck who jealously protects its permanents while never so much as committing a crime.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smothering Tithe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teferi’s Protection"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drannith Magistrate"></div></div><br />
<em>Let’s change the game without game changers.</em></p>
<h1>What Is Playing “Out Of Type”?</h1>
<p>While each color or combination of colors in Magic has its strengths, it’s rare for a mechanic to be completely devoid from a color. Certainly, lifegain in a mono-blue deck won’t be as common as white or green. But there are certainly <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lifetap" href="#" target="_blank">options</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venser&#039;s Journal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aetherflux Reservoir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cosmos Elixir"></div></div><br />
<em>Even if most of those options are synergies with artifacts</em></p>
<p>At its core, playing Out Of Type or “Off-Color” is actively seeking the mechanics that barely have any support and scrounging them together. Like some sort of ramshackle scavenger, greedily scraping the barrel’s bottom for nonsense.</p>
<p>And sometimes, fools find gold.</p>
<h2>A Quick Disclaimer</h2>
<p>This isn't intended to be competitively viable. It’s for EDH, not cEDH after all. Further, the theory-crafting that goes into this follows the assumption you're avoiding leaning into any of the strengths of the color you’re playing.</p>
<p>That isn’t to say you shouldn’t <em>attempt</em> to win, just that you’re actively making it more difficult for yourself. Which to some players is anathema. However, perhaps you want to reexamine your relationship with a deck archetype. Perhaps you simply want to handicap yourself to level the playing field in your pod.</p>
<p>Or maybe you think that white’s lifelinking, indestructible, flying token swarm which exiles your permanents isn’t fun. This, of course, is the correct answer.</p>
<p>No matter what your rationale behind it, put aside whatever staples you have and focus on a theme. What can you cobble together into a deck that should have never been?</p>
<h1>What White Does Well in <em>Magic</em></h1>
<h2>Staying Safe</h2>
<p>When it comes to gaining life, white is king. Lifelink. Gaining life on enter-the-battlefield effects. Instants and sorceries with the intended effect of gaining life.</p>
<p>Further, many of its cards scale or gain additional bonuses when you have more life. Most colors subscribe to the mantra of “the only life that matters is the last,” but white actually cares quite a bit about staying topped off. And so it has protections to boot.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul Warden"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daxos, Blessed by the Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani’s Welcome"></div></div><br />
<em>I’ll spare you the neverending list.</em></p>
<p>Which, to be fair, is mostly the fault of its host of Angels. Whether gaining you life directly or gaining bonuses based off of how much life you have, white’s Angels really care about keeping your life total high.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exemplar of Light"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archangel of Thune"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Righteous Valkyrie"></div></div><br />
<em>That’s a lot of Angels.</em></p>
<p>No, really. I thought white had too much lifegain even without Angels, but they don’t mess around. Aside from their lifegain, they also fly and tend to scale off of one another.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angel of Vitality"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Resplendent Angel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valkyrie Harbinger"></div></div><br />
<em>That’s a </em>lot<em> of Angels</em></p>
<p>From cards that give indestructibility to stat bonuses, white really takes offense when its creatures are destroyed. It even goes so far as to hide away from the game when pressured too far, which is comical in a vacuum, yet infuriating on the field.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bastion Protector"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Auriok Champion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mother of Runes"></div></div><br />
<em>White knows protection’s important!</em></p>
<h2>Neutralizing Threats</h2>
<p>White is one of the more directly aggressive colors in <em>Magic</em>, only beat out by red and green. That being said, it’s quite good at neutralizing its opponents’ permanents.</p>
<p>The most obvious and perhaps the least bemoaned is its use of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pacifism" href="#" target="_blank">Pacifism</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In short, white has many different cards with the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-commander-deck-around-pacifism-effects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primary effect of preventing a creature from attacking or blocking</a>. This is quite frustrating in something like a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/voltron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Voltron deck</a>, where the deck revolves around making one or two superpowered creatures.</p>
<p>But Pacifism isn’t the problem. It doesn’t prevent passive or active abilities and it can only affect creatures. The disrespect arrives when the White player upgrades.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Planar Disruption"></div></div><br />
<em>Note how this is just Pacifism, but better</em></p>
<h2>Exiling</h2>
<p>Then, of course, there’s white's propensity to simply remove things it finds undesirable. Blue returns permanents to your hand while black takes a more permanent solution. White, meanwhile, simply removes them from the game.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Path to Exile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Borrowed Time"></div></div><br />
<em>Regularly and with extreme prejudice</em></p>
<p>With a verified arsenal of enchantments designed entirely around exiling permanents, there are few things white can’t effectively deal with. Coupled with the protections mentioned earlier, white is a necessary color for any deck that wants to bolster its defenses.</p>
<h1>But What If…</h1>
<h2>… You Play a White Deck With a Scorched Earth Policy?</h2>
<p>Much like how the opposite of black’s fast-and-loose grasp of its permanents is to hold them close, white’s opposite is to do exactly that. Your life is a suggestion. Your hand is meaningless. Permanents are anything but.</p>
<p>It is time to invent Sui White.</p>
<h2>Alabaster Host Time</h2>
<p>I would be remiss if I didn’t immediately address that the white-aligned Phyrexian faction is perhaps the least similar to its traditional strengths. While it still involves quite a large amount of token generation and martial supremacy, the Alabaster Host focuses on toxic Mites and Incubator tokens*</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mite Overseer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flensing Raptor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Awakening"></div></div><br />
<em>*As of All Will Be One and March Of The Machine.</em></p>
<p>Despite the fact that Mite or Incubator creation is somewhat aligned with white’s regular strategies, poison tokens are a far cry from “archetypal white.” Artifacts growing over time feels more like a Gruul (red-green) archetype than a white one.</p>
<p>Which, thematically, actually fits quite well for a compleated color.</p>
<p>Allow yourself to suffer the sin of token generation in order to assign those poison counters your opponents so desperately deserve.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Charge of the Mites"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunder the Gateway"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skrelv, Defector Mite"></div></div><br />
<em>Who knew white decks were so toxic?</em></p>
<h2>Removal</h2>
<p>While it’s quite established for a white deck to exile or remove threats it doesn’t want to deal with, properly executing them isn’t really in its wheelhouse. Therefore, this should be one of the first things we look into incorporating into an off-white deck.</p>
<p>Perhaps it’s because I dug too deep or because I misjudged how much removal white really has, but here’s quite the list!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Single Combat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Promise of Loyalty"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Celestial Kirin"></div></div><br />
<em>If you’re wondering about board wipes, we’ll discuss those later</em></p>
<p>While there are varying levels of permanency and flexibility, broadly speaking there’s a range of options available to you. You can focus on enchantment, artifact, or creature removal equally well, without relying on the “exile a permanent” enchantments white is so well-known for.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Gift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disenchant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crush Contraband"></div></div><br />
<em>Much more permanent than temporary exile</em></p>
<p>Though it should be noted that most of these options are more expensive or less flexible than other colors’ counterparts. Again, these aren’t ideal mechanics to build a white deck around, but that’s why it’s <em>Commander Unoptimized</em>!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stroke of Midnight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Catapult Master"></div></div><br />
<em>Keep their board clear!</em></p>
<h2>Sacrifice</h2>
<p>Unfortunately for us, self-sacrifice is an extremely “traditionally good” thing to do. That means that thematically, it doesn’t quite align without off-white ideals. However, white doesn’t mechanically engage in self-sacrifice often enough for this to be an issue.</p>
<p>Therefore, allow yourself to cache in on some good ol’ fashioned flagellation! Whether self-inflicted damage, discarding, or sacrificing permanents, all are fair game!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darien, King of Kjeldor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duty Beyond Death"></div></div><br />
<em>Makes the off-white seem “Bone”</em></p>
<h2>Scorched Earth</h2>
<p>Single-target removal simply isn’t enough. Sometimes you need to remove everything, whether permanents or opponents. And that’s why white can share the pain, much in the same way it refuses to share lifegain.</p>
<p>Cards such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ankh of Mishra" href="#" target="_blank">Ankh of Mishra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> spread pain and give you pinging direct damage. But anyone who has fought a white deck knows its propensity for board wipes.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Final Showdown"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farewell"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hour of Reckoning"></div></div><br />
<em>Take them down with you!</em></p>
<p>This is where we run into an issue. If board wipes are so associated with white, is it not counterintuitive to include them?</p>
<p>I challenge this by drawing attention to our complete lack of protection. If you read the above cards, they don’t discriminate between friend and foe. And without white’s built-in safety net of indestructibility, these are legitimate threats that will affect you as well.</p>
<p>Exactly as off-white intended.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heliod&#039;s Intervention"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mass Calcify"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Armageddon"></div></div><br />
<em>Burn their crops, salt their fields!</em></p>
<h1>To Push It Further</h1>
<p>In a similar vein, there are certain effects that have a nested synergy with white but deviate from the norm in key aspects. Are these off-limits?</p>
<p>Not always. Take <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Suture Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Suture Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This gives you life which, gross, lifegain in a white deck! But it also damages opponents for playing creatures, which is exactly the sort of direct-damage taxing that is just odd enough to work.</p>
<p>In a situation like this, the fact it’s a “may” effect means you can set your own difficulty. It's entirely reasonable to take the healing from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Suture Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Suture Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even if you’re avoiding lifegain overall, you’re including it for the damage, so you might as well benefit from it.</p>
<p>But if you really wanted to play off-color? Ignore those healing effects. Life is gross and you want nothing to do with it. The only life that matters is the last and anything else is fluff that needs to be trimmed.</p>
<p>And even then, who needs life? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Unlife" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Unlife</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is much more on-theme.</p>


How To Play White Differently In EDH

Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (White)

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Danitha Capashen, Paragon" href="#" target="_blank">Danitha Capashen, Paragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.rallisart.com/">Chris Rallis</a>)</h6>
<h1>Dominaria, the Camelot of <em>Magic</em></h1>
<p>Hello again, Commander faithful! I know that this is a trying time for <em>Magic: the Gathering</em> players, as we seem to be going from set release to preview season to set release to preview season, but fear not! We will prevail and our favorite decks will, inevitably, be all the stronger for it. My name is Seth Cross and welcome back to <em>Uncommonders</em>, the series that explores underappreciated commanders printed at the uncommon level. There don't seem to be any new uncommon legends in the new <em>Core 2020</em> set, but fear not! <em>Dominaria </em>is still full of amazing legends to explore. This week we are talking about…</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Danitha Capashen, Paragon</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Danitha Capashen, Paragon"></div></div></p>
<p>It is rare that I say this about a mono-white commander (or a mono white-card in general) but Danitha is actually a pretty good creature: three mana for a 2/2 body with some very relevant keywords, and a unique ability to discount spells that are very prominent in her color. In all, you get a solid option for the command zone.</p>
<p>I realize that her ability mentions both Auras and Equipment, but we did just look at <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/uncommonder-tiana-boros-enchantress/">Boros Auras</a> recently, so I thought for this commander we would focus on the Equipment cards. At first, I just assumed I would make a generic goodstuff white Equipment deck, but then I was struck by an idea, inspired by a couple of cards in the recent set, <em>Modern Horizons,</em> and Danitha’s creature type: she is a Knight!</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Danitha and the Knights of the Round Table!</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Sinew and Steel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Truth and Justice"></div></div></p>
<p>If your first thought just now was "Oh, just another Knight tribal deck," well, you are partially correct, but there's more to this idea than just the tribal element. After all, what is a Knight without their sword? And it just so happens that we got two more members of the "Sword of X and Y" cycle in <em>Modern Horizons.</em> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Sinew and Steel" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Sinew and Steel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Truth and Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Truth and Justice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> joined the cycle and, for the most part, I am happy with both.</p>
<p>I know some people have expressed concern that these newer Swords are less powerful than the OG cycle, but I personally think these utility abilities are still very good and the colors they protect from (black and red for one, white and blue for the other) are pretty relevant combinations in Commander, from my own personal experience. Like I said, there is a Knight-based theme as well, as I chose six specific Knights to accompany Danitha into the battlefield.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Who’s Sitting at the Table?</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Knight Exemplar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balan, Wandering Knight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Puresteel Paladin"></div></div></p>
<p>I was surprised when I searched for mono-white Knights on <a href="https://www.scryfall.com">Scryfall</a> and found out there were 147 total; there were even a few “lord” abilities to tie the tribe together! I chose the lucky six based on a few different variables, from my personal preference to simple utility. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balan, Wandering Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Balan, Wandering Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was not in the top seven of white Knights, but since we are dealing with Equipment, I think she is a solid choice. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight of the White Orchid" href="#" target="_blank">Knight of the White Orchid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was the top-rated Knight on Scryfall and was chosen because he does something mono-white normally struggles with: ramping a land if we're behind.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Puresteel Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Puresteel Paladin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works well with our Equipment deck by making it free to move the Swords into the hands of our heroes, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalia’s Lancers" href="#" target="_blank">Thalia’s Lancers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can tutor up some of our other Knights and other important cards. I chose <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirran Crusader" href="#" target="_blank">Mirran Crusader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the low cost and double protection because if we have a sword that grants protection from white, blue and/or red, we are making Crusader nigh impossible to block. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight Exemplar" href="#" target="_blank">Knight Exemplar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the lords that I think the deck will benefit the most from, making our Knights indestructible and slightly stronger.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Knights Need a Kingdom</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quest for the Holy Relic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Throne of the High City"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stoneforge Mystic"></div></div></p>
<p>Of course, fourteen cards do not a deck make, especially when the concept of a tribal deck is based on just seven of those cards. Since the theme of the deck prevented me from simply piling in more value Knights or type-based lords, I decided to go for the theme of “Camelot”-based effects. With Danitha as our head Knight and presumably our Queen, she needed a throne and I found one that gave me access to my favorite mechanic in Commander: the Monarch. Danitha, sit high atop your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throne of the High City" href="#" target="_blank">Throne of the High City</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Danitha’s personal squire, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion Protector" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will keep her safe, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Selfless Squire" href="#" target="_blank">Selfless Squire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is looking to earn their knighthood by protecting us. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth, Sun’s Champion" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth, Sun’s Champion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a mini army and board wipe effect that keeps some of our faithful Knights on the field (or all of them if <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight Exemplar" href="#" target="_blank">Knight Exemplar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is on the battlefield). Any of these squires may need a sword of their own, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of the Animist" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of the Animist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes it into the armory. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can let us sink our mana into making more Soldiers while also synergizing with Danitha, who has lifelink naturally. While we're on the subject of gaining life, do not forget that two of our Swords of X and Y Equipment also have lifegain baked in!</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-35384 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Swords.png" alt="" width="691" height="481" /></p>
<p>In the lore, Danitha does not seem the type to be looking for a husband, but for the sake of theme and synergy, I like the idea of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darien, King of Kjeldor" href="#" target="_blank">Darien, King of Kjeldor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being the “stay at the castle and recruit an army” type of king. Since we are talking about a Camelot-based theme, there was no way I would miss the opportunity to run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quest for the Holy Relic" href="#" target="_blank">Quest for the Holy Relic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Of course, every kingdom needs to collect money to fund roads, the army, and everything else, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Land Tax" href="#" target="_blank">Land Tax</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seemed like natural inclusions. Since the deck is based around creatures, I only ran a few Wrath effects, and I wanted to make them work mostly in our favor. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Austere Command" href="#" target="_blank">Austere Command</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mass Calcify" href="#" target="_blank">Mass Calcify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have the potential to leave us untouched, while I thought of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi’s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi’s Protection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as Merlin’s spell of protection over Camelot, keeping it safe from enemy nations. Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stonehewer Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Stonehewer Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stoneforge Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Stoneforge Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the blacksmiths of our legendary swords while I chose <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baird, Steward of Argive" href="#" target="_blank">Baird, Steward of Argive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as the captain of the guard for our kingdom.</p>
<p>We need some more removal, as much draw as we can manage and some more ramp, but overall this is what the decklist looks like:</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Danitha and the Seven Knights of Dominaria" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Danitha Capashen, Paragon
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*1 Auriok Steelshaper
*1 Baird, Steward of Argive
*1 Balan, Wandering Knight
*1 Bastion Protector
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Captain of the Watch
*1 Darien, King of Kjeldor
*1 Knight Exemplar
*1 Knight of the White Orchid
*1 Leonin Shikari
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Mirran Crusader
*1 Puresteel Paladin
*1 Recruiter of the Guard
*1 Selfless Squire
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Stoneforge Mystic
*1 Stonehewer Giant
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Thalia&#039;s Lancers
*1 Tithe Taker
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*1 Dawn of Hope
*1 Land Tax
*1 Mobilization
*1 Quest for the Holy Relic
*1 Sigarda&#039;s Aid
*1 Smothering Tithe
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Dispatch
*1 Lapse of Certainty
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Rebuff the Wicked
*1 Return to Dust
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Protection
*1 Unbreakable Formation
[/Instant]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
[/Planeswalker]
[Sorcery]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Decree of Justice
*1 Mass Calcify
*1 Remember the Fallen
*1 Steelshaper&#039;s Gift
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Desert of the True
*1 Drifting Meadow
*1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Forge of Heroes
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Inventors&#039; Fair
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 New Benalia
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*1 Secluded Steppe
*19 Snow-Covered Plains
*1 Strip Mine
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Throne of the High City
[/Land]
[Artifact]
*1 Caged Sun
*1 Extraplanar Lens
*1 Hammer of Nazahn
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Oketra&#039;s Monument
*1 Pearl Medallion
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sword of Body and Mind
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine
*1 Sword of Fire and Ice
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow
*1 Sword of Sinew and Steel
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Sword of Truth and Justice
*1 Sword of War and Peace
[/Artifact]"></span></div><br />
</p>
<hr />
<p>Normally, when I sit down to write an article, even if I have the idea already in mind, it can take me a couple of days to research cards and synergies to try to present at least a mid-level deck. I have noticed, however, that when I do these kinds of thematic builds, I tend to almost fall into the decklist. Before I know it, the list is complete, and the article is over, and here we are! I really do think that these kinds of flavorful decks are the most fun for me to brew, and I hope you enjoy them, too!</p>
<p>The last Uncommonders article about <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/uncommonders-sneaking-on-the-high-seas/">Pirates and Ninjas</a> had a comment that stuck out, and per tradition, I'd love to shout it out. It came from /u/UltraWeebMaster on /r/EDH, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EDH/comments/c0lrgi/everyone_says_pirates_vs_ninjas_but_i_say_cant/er650jy?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x">who wrote</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Why stop there?<br />
Pirate Ninja Knight Warrior Archer tribal!</p></blockquote>
<p>I have to confess, I have done some odd tribal decks in the past. As a matter of fact, the first episode of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/praetormagic">Praetor Magic YouTube</a> series “Magic Online Commander League” was “<a href="https://youtu.be/Xe_WYe4mVog">tribal jank</a>” where I played Selesnya Knights, helmed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa" href="#" target="_blank">Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while another player at the table ran Selesnya Archers, helmed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karametra, God of Harvests" href="#" target="_blank">Karametra, God of Harvests</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It was honestly one of the worst performances I have had on the channel, but it was a fun time brewing the deck - tribes are just so nuanced and cool.</p>
<p>If you want to see more of my content in video form, make sure you check out and subscribe to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/praetormagic">Praetor Magic YouTube channel</a>. We upload videos and stream from there, like our weekly live podcast on Mondays known as Reflections of the Council. We sometimes stream variety games and on Thursdays I stream a budget version of Commander known as “3DH” or “Three Dollar Highlander” where the <em>Magic Online</em> decks are all 3 TIX (which equates to $3) or less. If you are interested in that concept, join the <a href="https://discord.gg/CrNHmTE">public Praetor Magic server</a> and we have a spreadsheet in the #3DH channel to help you build a deck to play with us! Last, but not least, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/DM_Cross">find me on Twitter</a> where you can keep up with my hustle during preview seasons. I am gearing up some more hype as we are quickly approaching the Commander precon preview season and that means Replacement Commanders for 2019 is coming soon!</p>
<p>In the meantime, remember: Keep dropping bombs (and swinging swords)!</p>


mono white commander

PEDH Voltron With Adelbert Steiner

How To Play White Differently In EDH

Myth Realized - What if Any Planeswalker Could Be Your Commander? (White)

Uncommonders - Knights of the Round Table

Uncommonders - Updating Radiant's Flock