<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sauron, the Dark Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Sauron, the Dark Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CKieran+Yanner%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kieran Yanner</a></em></p>
<p>On Tuesday, September 15th, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sauron, the Dark Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Sauron, the Dark Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another <em>Universes Beyond</em> legend, <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders">has officially taken his new spot as the 7th Most Popular Commander</a>.</p>
<p>This new development has bumped <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a perennial Commander favorite since 2011, to the #8 spot. Let's dive into how that's going, why it happened, and more.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sauron, the Dark Lord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaalia of the Vast"></div></div>
<h2>A Sight for Sauron's Eye</h2>
<p>Chronologically, Sauron is the second <em>Universes Beyond</em> commander to rise through the Top 10 list of most popular commanders, after <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Currently, there are four UB legends on the list in total.</p>
<p>However, Sauron was on this list for a lot longer than Y'shtola's <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/yshtola-nights-blessed-is-now-edhrecs-1-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">near-ironclad tenure at the tippy-top</a>. Many readers have speculated that Y'shtola's expedited rise is about her being a catgirl waifu, but Sauron is decidedly... <em>not</em> that.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed"></div></div>
<p>So, why has Sauron been on the rise? And what does all of this mean for Kaalia and her new company at spots #9 and #10, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teval, the Balanced Scale" href="#" target="_blank">Teval, the Balanced Scale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire Lord Azula" href="#" target="_blank">Fire Lord Azula</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teval, the Balanced Scale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fire Lord Azula"></div></div>
<h2>Not so Much a Rise, but a Fall?</h2>
<p>So, it's plain as day that Sauron has the most to gain by taking the #7 spot away from Kaalia. However, it's entirely plausible that this phenomenon is more a result of Kaalia losing favor amongst a dwindling* player base.</p>
<p>Sauron seems to continue to climb steadily, perhaps spurred a small amount by the reprint of this card in <em>The Hobbit</em>. At this rate, Sauron would inevitably catch a "straggler" such as Kaalia.</p>
<p>(*<em>"Dwindling" and "straggler," here, do not mean to imply that Kaalia of the Vast has very few people building her. After all, she is still the eighth most popular commander on the list.</em>)</p>
<p>In any event, Sauron decks are probably picking up slack because of <em>The Hobbit</em>. Meanwhile Kaalia decks are losing steam because Kaalia hasn't seen a reprint since <em>Modern Horizons 3</em> and has thusly fallen out of the zeitgeist.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Sauron fans can rejoice that their favorite salty little necromancer commander has risen in popularity by yet another spot.</p>
<h2>On Teval and Azula</h2>
<p>And now, let's talk about Kaalia, and who she seems to be contending with for her #8 spot. At #10 is Fire Lord Azula, who is another <em>Universes Beyond</em> commander relatively new to the list (having just come out last year).</p>
<p>As of the time of writing**, she commands over 37,000 decks. That's <em>not</em> a big nothing, but with Kaalia leading over 39,000 decks right now, Azula will need to catch up big-time.</p>
<p>(**<em>That's most likely the day before Sauron officially usurps #7.</em>)</p>
<p>The same goes for Teval, the Balanced Scale, our current 9th most popular commander. Like Azula, Teval came out last year, but is a bit older. Teval currently has 38,000+ decks at her disposal.</p>
<p>Based on the precedent, I would be more surprised to see Teval knock Kaalia to #9 before Azula can knock Teval to #10, but this is all speculation and obviously remains to be seen.</p>
<p>There is, however, another important factor to be had in this discussion, and that's the #11 spot, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ms. Bumbleflower" href="#" target="_blank">Ms. Bumbleflower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ms. Bumbleflower"></div></div>
<p>Ms. Bumbleflower is an ever-present specter at casual Commander tables, from my slightly panoptic field research, and from the looks of the list here as well.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong, Ms. Bumbleflower is tons of fun, and I can absolutely see why she's just beyond the outlying end of the list. My point is that I can definitely foresee a future in which she pushes a commander out of #10. And I think that might end up being Kaalia of the Vast, at the end of the day.</p>
<h2>What's Next for Sauron?</h2>
<p>At the time of writing, Sauron is still in that #8 spot, but it looks as though, once that is no longer the case, Sauron will have to contend with another powerful Wizard in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Vivi, a <em>Final Fantasy IX</em> fan-favorite***, is another boogeyman like Ms. Bumbleflower, but with a clearer presence thanks to Bracket 5 play, <em>Universes Beyond</em> presence, and his existence in a <em>very</em> popular property.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vivi Ornitier"></div></div>
<p>(***S<em>ay that five times fast!</em>)</p>
<p>When/if Sauron gets past Vivi, he'll have to take on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in order to grasp at the Top 5's #5 spot. Krenko is a very popular Goblin typal commander, to the point where people seem to often like to use him instead of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zada, Hedron Grinder" href="#" target="_blank">Zada, Hedron Grinder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to lead their <em>Goblinstorm</em> <em>Secret Lair Commander </em>precons.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>For the time being, Vivi and Krenko are the commanders Sauron needs to think about in the immediate term in order to get a leg up on the rest of the popular commanders.</p>
<p>For now though, Sauron fans can enjoy their major victory over one of the biggest and most longstanding gatekeepers of the Top Commanders list.</p>
<p>And now let's hear what you have to say, dear readers! Are you happy that another <em>Universes Beyond</em> commander has overtaken a juggernaut like Kaalia of the Vast on this list?</p>
<p>Are you a Sauron, the Dark Lord player? What are your favorite cards to use in Sauron's 99? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


Sauron, the Dark Lord kicks Kaalia of the Vast to #8 in EDHREC's Top Commanders

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMagali+Villeneuve%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Magali Villeneuve</a></em></p>
<p>It's official! As of Tuesday, August 11, just shy of 15 months after her release with the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set and its associated Commander precons, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is now the #1 most popular commander on EDHREC. This is the fastest rise to glory of any commander in the format's history, by the numbers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed"></div></div>
<p>In the process, Y'shtola has also bumped <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to the #2 spot. For some time now, The Ur-Dragon had battled it out with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the esteem of Most Popular Commander. But now, 425 days post-release, Y'shtola has not just those two, but <em>all</em> commanders beat in terms of popularity.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edgar Markov"></div></div>
<h2>What <em>Is</em> It About Y'shtola?</h2>
<p>There is something about Y'shtola that keeps players engaged with building decks for her. Sure, it could be the concept of Catgirl Solidarity, but frankly, that angle doesn't sit right with me as a definitive answer. There probably aren't nearly 50,000 decks for her that cater specifically to that demographic. She also exists in a greatly underserved color identity for Commander.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/esper-renaissance-a-major-glow-up-in-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In January</a>, I wrote about how Esper (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) has traditionally had the short end of interesting commanders. This changed in 2025 when <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> came out. I recognize now that I was wrong, but in the sense that it was Y'shtola that <em>really</em> changed things around for the color identity. Sure, Hashaton currently has more than 25,000 decks and lands at #32 in overall popularity. That still doesn't make it a bona fide winner in the public eye.</p>
<p>So, what <em>is</em> it about Y'shtola, Night's Blessed that makes her as popular as she is?</p>
<p>The answer could lie within the source material. <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em> is not the most popular title in <em>Final Fantasy</em> (by way of critical and commercial acclaim). However, it is also the only major MMORPG in the mainline series and one that many people were exposed to. If you went to a video game convention dressed as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola Rhul" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola Rhul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and you asked a random con-goer who you were dressed as, many would probably recognize you as more than just a "catgirl."</p>
<p>Nevertheless, there's still the question of how our Esper catgirl became the #1 commander on the site. To that end, I couldn't tell you a succinct or definitive reason for why. But, it honestly might just have to do with all of the above.</p>
<h2>The Road to 50,000 Decks</h2>
<p>So, now that Y'shtola has beaten The Ur-Dragon in raw popularity, the question shifts. Can she make it to 50,000 while retaining her esteemed title? As of this Tuesday morning, before her ascent to #1, Y'shtola had 49,589 builds to her name, just a measly six decks behind the now-dethroned #1 commander. Therefore, as of this morning, she was 411 decks away from reaching the mark.</p>
<p>Later on Tuesday afternoon, numbers showed Y'shtola at 49,644 decks, eclipsing The Ur-Dragon's 49.627. Now, there are only 356 decks between her and 50K.</p>
<p>This road is a long one, and has been for every commander that we have databased on the site. So far, even with data trending and shifting every few years, no commander has so far made it to 50,000 decks. Whichever it is, be it Y'shtola or The Ur-Dragon (or even Edgar Markov, who is not <em>terribly</em> far behind at 49,360 decks, truth be told), it'll be the first deck to do so in our site's history.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>As eager eyes watch the tally to see who gets to 50,000 decks first, we can take time to congratulate Y'shtola, Night's Blessed fans on their victory today. Have fun with your popular builds, friends!</p>
<p>And now, dear readers, let's hear what you have to say. Is this an interesting turn of events for you? Have you been reading about Y'shtola's exploits on EDHREC? And who do you hope or think will reach that fabled 50K first? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


Y'shtola, Night's Blessed Is Now EDHREC's #1 Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artpad.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaime Jones</a></em></p>
<p>If you've played Commander, odds are you've seen a few Dragons hit the battlefield. Maybe you've even put them onto the battlefield yourself! In this edition of <em>Fire and Ice</em>, we'll be taking a look at the most popular Dragon commander ever printed. This flying lizard also just so happens to be <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the most popular commander on EDHREC</a>, with over 46 thousand decks to its name.</p>
<p>If you haven't guessed it yet, today's article is about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p>This is the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article!</p>
<p>We've got tons of data here at EDHREC. In this series, we'll draw conclusions from that data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight into how the format's players are thinking about new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.</p>
<p>Let's see what's Fiery and what's Icy for The Ur-Dragon!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div id="attachment_183439" style="width: 999px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-13.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-183439" class="size-full wp-image-183439" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-13.png" alt="What's Hot and What's Not for The Ur-Dragon?" width="989" height="550" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-13.png 989w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-13-300x167.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-1-13-768x427.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 989px) 100vw, 989px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-183439" class="wp-caption-text">What's Hot and What's Not for The Ur-Dragon?</p></div>
<p>Ur-Dragon decks make use of the cost reduction that their commander provides to get big Dragons onto the battlefield earlier than should be possible. Then, after building up enough mana, pilots can cast their commander to unleash a devastating amount of power and toughness onto the board. Some decks may not even cast their commander, instead preferring to simply make use of the free cost reduction this Dragon Avatar provides from the command zone.</p>
<p>Among the most popular cards with Ur-Dragon pilots are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (79% of decks), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (77% of decks), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (72% of decks).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Tempest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crux of Fate"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Ur-Dragon Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quandrix, the Proof" href="#" target="_blank">Quandrix, the Proof</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Witherbloom, the Balancer" href="#" target="_blank">Witherbloom, the Balancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prismari, the Inspiration" href="#" target="_blank">Prismari, the Inspiration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Scores of 9.00, 8.67, and 8.33</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quandrix, the Proof"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Witherbloom, the Balancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prismari, the Inspiration"></div></div>
<p>All three of these Elder Dragons are fantastic, and Ur-Dragon players are always eager to get their hands on new creatures. These Dragons are all huge, flying beaters that can kill opponents after just a few combat steps. Quandrix even has cascade, which will often net us an extra Dragon!</p>
<p>But all three of these creatures have abilities that place importance on high mana cost instants and sorceries. The average Ur-Dragon deck has just over a dozen instants and sorceries, the majority of which are ramp and removal spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farseek" href="#" target="_blank">Farseek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path to Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Path to Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That's not enough of a focus on spells to merit the inclusion of these Dragons, which won't provide us with much value if we're not casting splashy instants and sorceries.</p>
<p>Quandrix, Witherbloom, and Prismari are all great cards, but they're better suited for a different sort of deck.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutable Explorer" href="#" target="_blank">Mutable Explorer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 2.63</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mutable Explorer"></div></div>
<p>This three-drop is a fantastic inclusion for Ur-Dragon pilots. It has its cost reduced to just <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> by our commander's eminence ability, it counts as a Dragon for all of our typal synergies, and the land it creates can also become a Dragon if need be. It's hard to imagine a better ramp spell for Ur-Dragon decks, so I'm glad to see players latching on to this card.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloom Tender" href="#" target="_blank">Bloom Tender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 1.85</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloom Tender"></div></div>
<p>This Elf Druid is also a fantastic card, but it requires a bit more setup to reach maximum effectiveness. If we're able to get a few non-<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> Dragons (or other permanents) onto the field, Bloom Tender will really shine. And, if we've only got this creature on board, it still produces mana for us!</p>
<p>This is one of the best mana dorks out there, and is a great fit for our mana-hungry <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> strategy.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronicle of Victory" href="#" target="_blank">Chronicle of Victory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 1.80</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chronicle of Victory"></div></div>
<p>I will admit that I'm a bit confused at this inclusion. Sure, this artifact provides some great value upon resolution. We get a nice anthem for our Dragons, and the promise of some future card advantage too. But, much like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it would likely be better to slot in another Dragon in place of Chronicle of Victory.</p>
<p>Dragons are already large, imposing creatures that strike fear into the hearts of opponents. We don't need a +2/+2 anthem and a few extra keywords to turn a board full of Dragons into victory. <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=cmc%3D6+t%3Adragon&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">There's 124 Dragons out there that have the same mana value as Chronicle of Victory</a>, and I'd rather cast almost all of them instead of this artifact.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crib Swap" href="#" target="_blank">Crib Swap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Realmwalker" href="#" target="_blank">Realmwalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Scores of 1.51 and 1.53</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crib Swap"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Realmwalker"></div></div>
<p>These cards have very different purposes, but they're in this deck for the same reason: Both of them are changelings, meaning they have their cost reduced by our commander. That turns Crib Swap into a two-mana removal spell (a good rate for creature removal in Commander) and Realmwalker into a two-mana card advantage engine (solid rate for a mini precognition engine).</p>
<p>Both of these cards likely drew a bit more attention after the recent release of <em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em>, and are certainly deserving of a spot in more Ur-Dragon decks.</p>
<h2>What's Icy for Ur-Dragon Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald&#039;s Horn" href="#" target="_blank">Herald&#039;s Horn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -2.49</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Herald&#039;s Horn"></div></div>
<p>I spoke about this artifact a few weeks ago in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/fire-and-ice-eowyn-shieldmaiden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our article</a> on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Éowyn, Shieldmaiden" href="#" target="_blank">Éowyn, Shieldmaiden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but I believe that this card is being swapped out directly for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gathering Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Gathering Stone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in many lists. The card selection provided by Gathering Stone is worth the extra <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> it costs.</p>
<p>While <i>Lorwyn Eclipsed</i>'s Gathering Stone didn't quite make it onto the Fiery card list for The Ur-Dragon, I imagine that many players are finding a home for it in their lists. Ur-Dragon decks make more than enough mana to justify that swap.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonlord&#039;s Servant" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonlord&#039;s Servant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspeaker Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspeaker Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Scores of -2.16 and -1.92</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlord&#039;s Servant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonspeaker Shaman"></div></div>
<p>These cards are both cost reducers too, but their decline in popularity is likely happening for a different reason: they're creatures! Out of all the card types, creatures are the most vulnerable to removal. They can be dealt direct damage, forced to block a scary attacking creature, or straight up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murder" href="#" target="_blank">Murder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>ed. That fragility has likely come back to bite many Ur-Dragon players, hence their declining popularity.</p>
<p>When cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutable Explorer" href="#" target="_blank">Mutable Explorer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide much harder-to-interact-with ramp, older staples like Dragonspeaker Shaman and Dragonlord's Servant become less appealing.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korlessa, Scale Singer" href="#" target="_blank">Korlessa, Scale Singer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -1.88</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korlessa, Scale Singer"></div></div>
<p>This creature is quite similar to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Realmwalker" href="#" target="_blank">Realmwalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's likely that Realmwalker is gaining in popularity, while Korlessa fails in popularity, due to recency bias. Korlessa does also have a slightly more restrictive mana cost, requiring an extra <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> pip, which has likely also led to its removal from some 99s.</p>
<h2>What's in an Ur-Dragon Deck?</h2>
<p>Here's an Ur-Dragon list with all of its hot cards and none of its cold cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fire and Ice - The Ur-Dragon" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Ur-Dragon
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ancient Copper Dragon
*1 Ancient Gold Dragon
*1 Ancient Silver Dragon
*1 Atarka, World Render
*1 Balefire Dragon
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Bladewing the Risen
*1 Bloom Tender
*1 Dragonlord Dromoka
*1 Goldspan Dragon
*1 Hellkite Courser
*1 Klauth, Unrivaled Ancient
*1 Lathliss, Dragon Queen
*1 Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm
*1 Morophon, the Boundless
*1 Mutable Explorer
*1 Old Gnawbone
*1 Prismari, the Inspiration
*1 Quandrix, the Proof
*1 Ramos, Dragon Engine
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Rith, Liberated Primeval
*1 Rivaz of the Claw
*1 Sarkhan, Soul Aflame
*1 Savage Ventmaw
*1 Scalelord Reckoner
*1 Scion of the Ur-Dragon
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Silumgar, the Drifting Death
*1 Terror of the Peaks
*1 Tiamat
*1 Twinflame Tyrant
*1 Ureni of the Unwritten
*1 Utvara Hellkite
*1 Witherbloom, the Balancer
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Chronicle of Victory
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mox Jasper
*1 Urza&#039;s Incubator
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Call the Spirit Dragons
*1 Dracogenesis
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Rhystic Study
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Temur Ascendancy
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Counterspell
*1 Crib Swap
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Crux of Fate
*1 Cultivate
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Farseek
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Three Visits
[/Sorceries]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Sarkhan Unbroken
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Strand
*2 Forest
*1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
*2 Island
*1 Ketria Triome
*1 Maelstrom of the Spirit Dragon
*1 Misty Rainforest
*2 Mountain
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Plains
*1 Reflecting Pool
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Stomping Ground
*2 Swamp
*1 Temple Garden
*1 The World Tree
*1 Unclaimed Territory
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Ziatora&#039;s Proving Ground
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>There's a solid contingent of Ur-Dragon lists that are themed around creatures with changeling, rather than being focused solely on Dragons. This is a more unique take, and a fun way to power down one of Commander's most fearsome cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Changeling Outcast"></div></div>
<p>It's always entertaining to see these off-kilter builds come together. Some pilots like the abilities that Commander's strongest leaders provide, but don't want the pressure of building around those abilities optimally. Are there any other super powerful commanders that you've built in an unusual way? Perhaps a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mr. House, President and CEO" href="#" target="_blank">Mr. House, President and CEO</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck without any ways to roll d20s? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll see you all next week for a cEDH-focused edition of <em>Fire and Ice</em>!</p>


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