The Most Unique Commanders in Final Fantasy

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vaan, Street Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Vaan, Street Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://jakemurraystudio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Murray</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello hello! Welcome to another <em>Final Fantasy</em> deck tech! This set is full of interesting, powerful commanders, and I'd like to walk you through a brew with one of my favorites. I've long been a fan of mono-colored decks, so it's no surprise that I've been drawn to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vaan, Street Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Vaan, Street Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vaan, Street Thief"></div></div></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This commander is super interesting, and the typal grouping he encourages will make for some interesting deckbuilding.</span></p>
<h2>What Does Vaan, Street Thief Do?</h2>
<p>This Human Scout costs <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, and essentially turns each of our Scouts, Pirates, and Rogues into a worse version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Whenever they deal combat damage to one of our opponents, we'll impulse draw the top card of that player's library. If we don't cast that card, we get a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And, when we do cast a spell this way (or any other spell that we don't own), we'll get to buff up our whole board of creatures.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaan reminds me of some of my other favorite commanders. He encourages us to cast spells from exile and hands out +1/+1 counters like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Inti, Seneschal of the Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p>I'm also reminded of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mari, the Killing Quill" href="#" target="_blank">Mari, the Killing Quill</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who groups together a few creature types like Vaan does, and provides us with an incentive to deal combat damage to our opponents frequently.</p>
<p>But Vaan is most reminiscent of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Olivia, Opulent Outlaw" href="#" target="_blank">Olivia, Opulent Outlaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Both of these commanders care about multiple creature types, make treasures, and provide +1/+1 counters to our whole team. Decks built around these commanders will have a lot of overlap, so we'll be drawing inspiration from their EDHREC pages as we go!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mari, the Killing Quill"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Olivia, Opulent Outlaw"></div></div>
<p>This commander, and the others that its similar to, provide us with a pretty clear direction: we'll fill the deck with cheap and evasive Scouts, Pirates, and Rogues, pair those creatures with some artifact and non-hand casting synergies, and look to end the game with a buffed-up board of similarly-typed creatures.</p>
<p>Let's get brewing!</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Vaan, Street Thief</h2>
<h3>Cheap and Evasive Creatures</h3>
<p>Let's talk about the cheap and/or evasive creatures that we'll use to trigger our commander's abilities.</p>
<p>First, and my pick for the strongest of the bunch, is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card feels tailor-made for the deck: it's got evasion, it makes us extra Treasure tokens, and it even deals extra damage to an opponent when it attacks.</p>
<p>I'm also a big fan of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gemcutter Buccaneer" href="#" target="_blank">Gemcutter Buccaneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will provide us with a stream of Treasures and convert those Treasures into extra damage. There's a total of 14 Pirates in the deck (and a few ways to make Pirate creature tokens), so this card will be a good value engine.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Plunderer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gemcutter Buccaneer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Robber of the Rich"></div></div>
<p>Lastly, I wanted to shout out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Robber of the Rich" href="#" target="_blank">Robber of the Rich</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This was the first one I added to the deck's 99, because it just fits so perfectly. Reach is always nice to have on a creature, and haste means that this guy can start providing card advantage the turn we cast him.</p>
<p>I was surprised at how many creatures fit this deck's game plan and had relevant types, but the deck's creature suite came together quite nicely.</p>
<h3>Artifact and Treasure Synergies</h3>
<p>Next, let's talk about our artifact and Treasure synergies. Red decks have no shortage of these cards, so I had a nice pool to draw from.</p>
<p>First, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laurine, the Diversion" href="#" target="_blank">Laurine, the Diversion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a sweet control piece (and a Rogue, notably) for a deck that lacks significant removal. While we may not be able to destroy an opponent's big creature, we can certainly sacrifice a spare Treasure to ensure it doesn't swing our way.</p>
<p>And if we want to turn those spare Treasures into aggression, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swashbuckler Extraordinaire" href="#" target="_blank">Swashbuckler Extraordinaire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do so easily. Plus, double strike works extremely well with Vaan's combat-focused abilities.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Laurine, the Diversion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swashbuckler Extraordinaire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fathom Fleet Swordjack"></div></div>
<p>There's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fathom Fleet Swordjack" href="#" target="_blank">Fathom Fleet Swordjack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This creature will take a big chunk out of an opponent's life total when it attacks, and it just so happens to be a Pirate! It's a great fit here.</p>
<p>There's a whole bunch of other Pirate-centric synergies in the deck, too. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breeches, Eager Pillager" href="#" target="_blank">Breeches, Eager Pillager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breeches, Brazen Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Breeches, Brazen Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work well with our supporting cast of crewmates, so there's sure to be a good deal of Pirate synergies on our battlefield at any given moment.</p>
<h3>Casting Spells From Exile</h3>
<p>Now, let's talk about the ways we'll gain advantage by casting the spells we steal from our opponents.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Passionate Archaeologist" href="#" target="_blank">Passionate Archaeologist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keeper of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Keeper of Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and [/el]Flaming Tyrannosaurus[/el] will each hit our opponents for some significant damage when we cast spells from exile.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Passionate Archaeologist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Iraxxa, Empress of Mars"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wild-Magic Sorcerer"></div></div>
<p>Next up, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iraxxa, Empress of Mars" href="#" target="_blank">Iraxxa, Empress of Mars</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide a lot of tokens over the course of the game. Plus, her attack trigger can be a difference maker in clogged board states or close games.</p>
<p>And finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wild-Magic Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Wild-Magic Sorcerer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will give us one of our own spells for free after we cast one of our opponents' spells. It's no surprise that this card is good in any deck that casts spells from exile, but I find it particularly interesting that we still get the cascade trigger off of casting a spell we don't own.</p>
<h2>How Does This Vaan, Street Thief Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This deck ultimately wins through damage. It can sometimes ping our opponents life totals down over time with a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Keeper of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Keeper of Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but it'll more often win through combat damage with an army of Scouts, Pirates, and Rogues. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vaan provides a lot of +1/+1 counters over the course of a game, and that can lead to a victory in the mid/late game.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glóin, Dwarf Emissary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caught in the Crossfire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return the Favor"></div></div>
<p>I'm happy to say that, despite being mono-red, this deck has a good few ways to control the battlefield. Through goad effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glóin, Dwarf Emissary" href="#" target="_blank">Glóin, Dwarf Emissary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one-sided board wipes like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caught in the Crossfire" href="#" target="_blank">Caught in the Crossfire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and redirection effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return the Favor" href="#" target="_blank">Return the Favor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can protect our board state pretty well.</p>
<h2>Vaan, Street Thief Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Making a Vaan, Street Thief Deck" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Vaan, Street Thief
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Academy Manufactor
*1 Angrath&#039;s Marauders
*1 Breeches, Brazen Plunderer
*1 Breeches, Eager Pillager
*1 Broadside Bombardiers
*1 Captain Lannery Storm
*1 Charming Scoundrel
*1 Coercive Recruiter
*1 Crimson Caravaneer
*1 Dargo, the Shipwrecker
*1 Dire Fleet Daredevil
*1 Fathom Fleet Swordjack
*1 Flaming Tyrannosaurus
*1 Fortune Thief
*1 Gemcutter Buccaneer
*1 Generous Plunderer
*1 Glóin, Dwarf Emissary
*1 Goblin Guide
*1 Goldspan Dragon
*1 Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
*1 Hellspur Posse Boss
*1 Impulsive Pilferer
*1 Iraxxa, Empress of Mars
*1 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
*1 Keeper of Secrets
*1 Kellan, Planar Trailblazer
*1 Laurine, the Diversion
*1 Nalfeshnee
*1 Party Thrasher
*1 Port Razer
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Prosperous Bandit
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Robber of the Rich
*1 Rose, Cutthroat Raider
*1 Swashbuckler Extraordinaire
*1 Taurean Mauler
*1 Tin Street Dodger
*1 Treasure Nabber
*1 Wild-Magic Sorcerer
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Beamtown Beatstick
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Inspiring Statuary
*1 Maskwood Nexus
*1 Staff of Eden, Vault&#039;s Key
*1 Tarrian&#039;s Soulcleaver
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Gamble
*1 Reckless Handling
*1 Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure
*1 Vandalblast
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Bottle-Cap Blast
*1 Caught in the Crossfire
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Fiery Cannonade
*1 Great Train Heist
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Return the Favor
*1 Siege Smash
*1 Untimely Malfunction
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Alchemist&#039;s Talent
*1 Charred Foyer // Warped Space
*1 Daring Piracy
*1 Passionate Archaeologist
*1 Powerbalance
*1 Uncivil Unrest
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Exotic Orchard
*30 Mountain
*1 Mutavault
*1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks for reading this <em>Final Fantasy</em> deck tech! Before you go, there's a few odd inclusions I wanted to point out. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First among them is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Guide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While this creature seems better suited for aggressive decks in 60-card formats, it actually works quite well in this deck. It's a Scout with haste, so it works well with our commander's abilities, and its attack trigger means that it can clear lands off of the top of our opponents' libraries.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin Guide"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We'd much rather impulse draw one of their spells than one of their lands, so this one-mana 2/2 slots right into the deck.</span></p>
<p>In the course of building this deck, I came across a card that I'd never seen before: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fortune Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Fortune Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This creature can prevent us from losing the game due to damage, potentially letting us untap and win the game on the crack back from an opponent's big attack. Plus, it's a Rogue! Vaan loves Rogues.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fortune Thief"></div></div>
<p>In all seriousness, paying <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" 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> for a 0/1 creature (or <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>+<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> if we Morph it) is a tough rate. But given that this deck is lower power, it's got room for some fun cards like this.</p>
<p>That's all I've got for this week! I'll see you all again next week for another deck tech.</p>


Making a Vaan, Street Thief Commander Deck

Building a Clone Commander Deck With Kimahri, Valiant Guardian

Top 10 Orzhov Spellslinger Cards

Kain, Traitorous Dragoon: With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heidegger, Shinra Executive" href="#" target="_blank">Heidegger, Shinra Executive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CDanciao%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Danciao</a></em></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heidegger, Shinra Executive" href="#" target="_blank">Heidegger, Shinra Executive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a new commander that supports the Soldier creature type by helping the little guys go wide and tall at the same time. He’s a solid curve-topper, flooding the board with Soldiers by himself and coming with a reasonable mana value and decently aggressive stats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heidegger, Shinra Executive"></div></div>
<p>One of the intriguing aspects of building typal decks is that even if decks share colors, they will rarely share many cards. While we <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-a-cleric-typal-deck-with-minwu-white-mage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">looked at a mono-white list last week</a>, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minwu, White Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Minwu, White Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Clerics, the decks have very different structures, means of attack, and board states.</p>
<p>If you’re getting tired of seeing the same old staples, try a typal deck!</p>
<p>It’s always fun when an older creature type gets a boost from a new set, whether it’s within the <em>Magic</em> IP or from <em>Universes Beyond</em>. Soldiers have flooded the board since <em>Alliances</em> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kjeldoran Outpost" href="#" target="_blank">Kjeldoran Outpost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and were pushed even further as the representative white weenie type in <em>Onslaught</em>.</p>
<p>Nearly every set features new Soldiers, as establishing the presence, type, and strength of the military is integral to worldbuilding. As a result, Soldiers pop up on seemingly every plane.</p>
<p>This can get a little confusing, however, as some Soldiers have additional typing while others are generic grunts. For example, even if a Soldier token depicts a Human Soldier, it won’t trigger things that care about Humans.</p>
<h2>What Does Heidegger, Shinra Executive Do?</h2>
<p>One of the more subtle but important aspects of Heidegger is his mana value. As with the Minwu deck, we'll spend our early turns adding to the board instead of casting spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As a result, we rely on hitting land drops to cast our spells on-curve instead of using mana rocks to cast spells early.</p>
<p>So, what is Heidegger’s mana value, and why does it matter? His mana value is four, which matters because four is an important number when it comes to sweepers in Commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Damnation" href="#" target="_blank">Damnation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are older than the format itself; green decks tend to reach the kinds of threats we can’t attack into; and blue decks are almost to the point of being able to leave mana up every turn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrath of God"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Odric, Master Tactician"></div></div>
<p>Our commander comes out at the perfect moment to make an impact: punishing wraths, making green-sized threats, and hitting the field just before a permission spell ceases to be a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Walk" href="#" target="_blank">Time Walk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the blue player.</p>
<p>While there are other options for Soldier commanders, most of them center on manipulating combat and enabling aggression. They aren't threats themselves, however, so they don't do anything the deck doesn’t already do.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Odric, Master Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Odric, Master Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a solid Soldier commander: It costs four, has first strike and an additional point of toughness, and allows us to determine who attacks and blocks (if anyone). It gets around green decks and under blue decks, but it doesn’t enable us to recover from a wrath, which are becoming increasingly popular.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harbin, Vanguard Aviator" href="#" target="_blank">Harbin, Vanguard Aviator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commander Mustard" href="#" target="_blank">Commander Mustard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both add a color, with Harbin being a cheap early flyer that gives flying to all creatures we control and Mustard being a more expensive curve-topper that gives vigilance, trample, and haste to all Soldiers, as well as an activated ability that lets Soldiers ping opponents when they attack.</p>
<p>While they both provide reach (in terms of ways around blockers), neither acts as wrath protection or a post-wrath threat.</p>
<p>What Heidegger does for Soldiers that's unique is provide a post-wrath threat. By himself, he represents wave after wave of Soldier tokens, one of which can get very big. He doesn’t need to enter combat himself to do it, either, so he can keep himself out of harm’s way, especially when opponents can present blockers.</p>
<p>These small moments are amplified when considering the roadblocks aggro decks face nowadays, including the relative size of modern creatures and the presence of lifelink on evasive threats. Racing is key, and creating opportunities for chip damage can make all-out attacks deadly later.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Heidegger, Shinra Executive</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Myrel, Shield of Argive"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prava of the Steel Legion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hero of Bladehold"></div></div>
<p>It should come as no surprise that Soldier decks need Soldiers. What may be somewhat surprising, though, is the amount of cards that make Soldier tokens. Our commander is one of them, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myrel, Shield of Argive" href="#" target="_blank">Myrel, Shield of Argive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a similar effect, albeit one that shuts off instant-speed interaction and is a bit worse at following up a wrath effect.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prava of the Steel Legion" href="#" target="_blank">Prava of the Steel Legion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a neat partner commander option that not only makes Soldiers but also toughens them up, helping them survive <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyroclasm" href="#" target="_blank">Pyroclasm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infest" href="#" target="_blank">Infest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero of Bladehold" href="#" target="_blank">Hero of Bladehold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nasty beatdown creature, making Soldiers and putting out a battle cry that our little Soldiers desperately need in order to present a threat.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daru Warchief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rescue Retriever"></div></div>
<p>Soldiers need anthems to unite under. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daru Warchief" href="#" target="_blank">Daru Warchief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best, providing power, toughness, and a cost reduction for Soldiers. The cost reduction is vital because we don’t play mana rocks, but we do want to hit the ground running.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rescue Retriever" href="#" target="_blank">Rescue Retriever</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not only the best boy but also is a rare Dog Soldier that isn’t a humanoid from Tarkir. The doggo is an inspiration to the troops, rallying them in the form of permanent boosts via +1/+1 counters. After all, who better to bring troops together than an adorable mascot?</p>
<p>While the majority of the deck is designed around Soldiers and anthems, we do have a couple of other important roles to fill.</p>
<p>Since we need a critical mass of bodies and mass pump effects, as well as ways to get out of board slogs, we need card draw. The majority of that draw is tied to the monarch, as we can get damage in quickly and sneak bodies through for small amounts of damage and regaining the monarch.</p>
<p>The presence of the monarch can also direct threats away from us so we don’t have to spend resources blocking, in addition to being thematic: Soldiers protect monarchs, after all!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Will"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brave the Elements"></div></div>
<p>The other major role we need is board protection, as we need permanents to stick around in order to stack abilities and develop a board presence. These cards are essentially the same as those from last week’s Cleric deck.</p>
<p>Dawn seems to be an ideal time of day for both Clerics and Soldiers, as both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn&#039;s Truce" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn&#039;s Truce</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can protect our board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brave the Elements" href="#" target="_blank">Brave the Elements</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are arguably better here than in the Cleric deck, as they enable big pushes of damage, slamming our large board into our opponents’ faces.</p>
<h2>How Does This Heidegger, Shinra Executive Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p>Heidegger is a white weenie deck, plain and simple. We’re looking to fill the ground with small bodies early, pump those bodies with anthems, and either recoup card draw with the monarch or protect our board. We want to hit hard, hit early, and wrap the game up quickly before our threats get outclassed.</p>
<p>We have some light interaction, as well as some ways to create opportunities, like using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawn Charm" href="#" target="_blank">Dawn Charm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to catch opponents overextending and hit them hard on the crack back. As simple as the deck may seem, patience, timing, and flexibility can be the difference between winning and losing.</p>
<p>And what would a Soldier deck be without tactical decisions?</p>
<h2>Heidegger, Shinra Executive Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Heidegger, Shinra Executive Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Heidegger, Shinra Executive
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Archetype of Courage
*1 Archon of Coronation
*1 Ballyrush Banneret
*1 Bastion Protector
*1 Benalish Commander
*1 Boromir, Warden of the Tower
*1 Bounty Agent
*1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
*1 Captain of the Watch
*1 Catapult Master
*1 Cathar Commando
*1 Champions of Minas Tirith
*1 Coppercoat Vanguard
*1 Daru Warchief
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Field Marshal
*1 Firemane Commando
*1 Goldnight Commander
*1 Haazda Marshal
*1 Hero of Bladehold
*1 Intrepid Hero
*1 Keeper of the Accord
*1 Knight-Captain of Eos
*1 Lossarnach Captain
*1 Myrel, Shield of Argive
*1 Odric, Master Tactician
*1 Palace Jailer
*1 Palace Sentinels
*1 Platoon Dispenser
*1 Prava of the Steel Legion
*1 Precinct Captain
*1 Preeminent Captain
*1 Protector of the Crown
*1 Recruitment Officer
*1 Rescue Retriever
*1 Resolute Reinforcements
*1 Reverent Hoplite
*1 Siege Veteran
*1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
*1 Valiant Veteran
*1 Veteran Swordsmith
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Court of Ardenvale
*1 Court of Grace
*1 Noble Purpose
*1 SOLDIER Military Program
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Akroma&#039;s Will
*1 And They Shall Know No Fear
*1 Brave the Elements
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Dawn Charm
*1 Dawn&#039;s Truce
*1 Divine Resilience
*1 Duty Beyond Death
*1 Flare of Fortitude
*1 Make a Stand
*1 Unbreakable Formation
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Coin of Fate
*1 Coveted Jewel
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Elspeth, Storm Slayer
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*40 Plains
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This is a fairly fast and aggressive typal deck, with its speed and board protection serving as positive traits while it’s hindered a bit by being comprised of individually small creatures and lacking strong card advantage engines.</p>
<p>We want to be pushing the pace from the beginning, putting out Soldier tokens instead of building up mana. As a result, our curve is moderately low, with our commander as a curve-topping threat that hits hard after a wrath. Heidegger wants to flood the red zone, even if it’s not safe for him to venture out himself.</p>
<p>This deck is for those who enjoy attacking, as well as those who enjoy the Vorthos/Melvin element of pieces fitting together thematically. It does take some patience to find the moments to attack profitably, as well as the willingness to see acceptable losses in order to gain advantages like the monarch.</p>
<p>When you find new ways to create openings, it’s a lot of fun, and it shows how fun aggressive decks can be!</p>


Building a Soldier Typal Deck with Heidegger, Shinra Executive

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malcolm, the Eyes" href="#" target="_blank">Malcolm, the Eyes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | <em>Art by</em><em> <a href="https://michaelwalshcomics.com/">Michael Walsh</a></em></h6>
<p>Last year, the <em>Magic </em>Pride event was my favorite of the year. The premise is simple: all legendary creatures have partner. This format has a nearly limitless number of potential partner combinations to construct a strategy around. The greatest challenge for me isn't building a good deck, but choosing just one deck to play at the event. In this deck tech, we're going to be taking my signature commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malcolm, the Eyes" href="#" target="_blank">Malcolm, the Eyes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and pairing him with my favorite commander from <em>Final Fantasy</em>: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malcolm, the Eyes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary"></div></div>
<h2>What Do Cloud and Malcolm Do?</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malcolm, the Eyes" href="#" target="_blank">Malcolm, the Eyes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a two-mana commander with flying and haste. Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, you get a Clue token. That's it. In the age of commanders that have two paragraphs of rules text, I find Malcolm's simplicity refreshing. The complexity lies in how to take advantage of Malcolm's abilities. Here, I'm primarily interested in leveraging Malcolm's speed and evasion. A two-mana creature with flying is going to get through in combat very often in the early stages of the game as most opponents will still be developing their mana and establishing their engines by the time Malcolm hits the red zone.</p>
<p>Unlike Malcolm, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has quite a bit of text to work through. When Cloud enters, you search your library for an Equipment card and put it into your hand. Then, while Cloud is equipped, his abilities as well as the abilities of any Equipment attached to him trigger twice. The tutor effect is going to be key in this deck. I'm a huge fan of toolbox-style decks that have a plethora of situational cards tied together by a powerful tutor effect and Cloud is a perfect fit.</p>
<p>These two commanders are going to come together to form a really sweet Voltron deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an easy way to find the best Equipment card for any given situation and Malcolm is an evasive creature that shouldn't be difficult to connect with. Additionally, both commanders are very good attackers! This means I can theoretically work towards a turn where I kill the two most threatening opponents at the table with commander damage in a single turn, leaving only one player alive to try to stop me.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Malcolm &amp; Cloud</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buster Sword"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blade of Selves"></div></div>
<p>The most important cards in any deck with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the command zone are the Equipment spells. I've fit as many of the best Equipment as I can get away with in this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buster Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Buster Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as most <em>Final Fantasy</em> fans would probably guess, has really strong synergy with Cloud. Getting to cast one spell from your hand for free is pretty good, but getting to do it twice when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buster Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Buster Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is equipped to Cloud is a ridiculous amount of value. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of Selves" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of Selves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also at its best when equipped to Cloud, as attacking with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blade of Selves" href="#" target="_blank">Blade of Selves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> equipped will give you a bunch of copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Sure, those copies are all going to get sacrificed to the legend rule, but each one of them will still get their enters trigger to search for an Equipment.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigarda&#039;s Aid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Puresteel Paladin"></div></div>
<p>The weakest part of Equipment spells is that they cost mana to cast and additional mana to equip to a creature. No one wants to spend their hard-earned mana on equipping their creatures. Thankfully, a number of ways to cheat on these costs have been printed over the years. Taking a page directly out of Modern Hammer Time's playbook, this deck includes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigarda&#039;s Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Sigarda&#039;s Aid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <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>, two of the most mana-efficient ways to cheat Equipment onto your creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forge Anew" href="#" target="_blank">Forge Anew</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bureau Headmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Bureau Headmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fighter Class" href="#" target="_blank">Fighter Class</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are also here to help give Cloud his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buster Sword" href="#" target="_blank">Buster Sword</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> without having to spend all of my mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thoughtcast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emry, Lurker of the Loch"></div></div>
<p>Between Malcolm's Clue tokens, artifact-based ramp, and the 15 Equipment cards in the deck, I expect this deck to have a lot of artifacts in play at any given time. I've included some cards with affinity or improvise to take full advantage of that. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thoughtcast" href="#" target="_blank">Thoughtcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will often be a one-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divination" href="#" target="_blank">Divination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Metallic Rebuke" href="#" target="_blank">Metallic Rebuke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> becomes a one-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Leak" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Leak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> very early into most games. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emry, Lurker of the Loch" href="#" target="_blank">Emry, Lurker of the Loch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> ensures that none of your most important artifacts stay gone for long after being removed. Emry is particularly strong in a deck that plays <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra&#039;s Bauble" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra&#039;s Bauble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza&#039;s Bauble" href="#" target="_blank">Urza&#039;s Bauble</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as she'll often be able to tap to draw a card with one of those at the very least.</p>
<h2>How Do Malcolm &amp; Cloud Win the Game?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeska, Thrice Reborn"></div></div>
<p>The most common way that a Voltron deck wins games is through commander damage, typically dealt by a commander with a critical mass of Auras or Equipment attached. This deck is no exception. It isn't all Auras and Equipment, though. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska, Thrice Reborn" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska, Thrice Reborn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card I've been including as a finisher more and more often in my decks lately and this deck makes very good use of her. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Two-Handed Axe" href="#" target="_blank">Two-Handed Axe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> serves a similar purpose to Jeska, while being an Equipment that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <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> can fetch.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kappa Cannoneer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inkmoth Nexus"></div></div>
<p>It is important for any Voltron deck to have creatures that can get the job done in case the commanders are rendered uncastable, either by a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drannith Magistrate" href="#" target="_blank">Drannith Magistrate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or prohibitively high command tax. With all of the powerful Equipment in this deck, any creature can easily become a lethal threat, but some cards in the deck are more well-suited than others to this purpose. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kappa Cannoneer" href="#" target="_blank">Kappa Cannoneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unblockable menace that is easy to cast and difficult to remove. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkmoth Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Inkmoth Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a land that can become a creature with infect. With a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigarda&#039;s Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Sigarda&#039;s Aid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the field, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkmoth Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Inkmoth Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can attack and then receive an instant-speed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossus Hammer" href="#" target="_blank">Colossus Hammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> after blocks to kill a player in one hit!</p>
<h2>Malcolm &amp; Cloud Commander Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Jeskai Stoneblade" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Cloud, Midgar Mercenary
*1 Malcolm, the Eyes
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Astrologian&#039;s Planisphere
*1 Blade of Selves
*1 Buster Sword
*1 Chrome Mox
*1 Colossus Hammer
*1 Conqueror&#039;s Flail
*1 Cori-Steel Cutter
*1 Lavaspur Boots
*1 Mishra&#039;s Bauble
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Mox Amber
*1 Mox Opal
*1 Nettlecyst
*1 Pre-War Formalwear
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine
*1 Sword of Fire and Ice
*1 Two-Handed Axe
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Jeska, Thrice Reborn
*1 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
[/Planeswalkers]
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Deflecting Swat
*1 Dispel
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Final Fortune
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Force of Negation
*1 Force of Will
*1 Galvanic Blast
*1 Metallic Rebuke
*1 Misdirection
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Wear // Tear
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Combat Research
*1 Curiosity
*1 Curious Obsession
*1 Fighter Class
*1 Forge Anew
*1 Frostcliff Siege
*1 Guild Artisan
*1 Sigarda&#039;s Aid
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Bureau Headmaster
*1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
*1 Esper Sentinel
*1 Forensic Gadgeteer
*1 Kappa Cannoneer
*1 Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Puresteel Paladin
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Stoneforge Mystic
*1 Subtlety
*1 Third Path Iconoclast
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Academy Ruins
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 City of Brass
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Great Furnace
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Inkmoth Nexus
*1 Island
*1 Mana Confluence
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Mountain
*1 Plains
*1 Plateau
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Raugrin Triome
*1 Razortide Bridge
*1 Rustvale Bridge
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Seat of the Synod
*1 Silverbluff Bridge
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Spire of Industry
*1 Starting Town
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Training Center
*1 Tundra
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Volcanic Island
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]
[Sorceries]
*1 Eagle Vision
*1 Shattering Spree
*1 Thoughtcast
*1 Winds of Abandon
[/Sorceries]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I'd place this deck into the lower end of the Optimized Bracket (4). The suite of interaction and ramp is packed with Game Changers, and this deck has a very fast gameplan that would most likely be overwhelming to less interactive decks in the lower brackets. It wouldn't be a big ask to tone it down to fit into the Upgraded Bracket (3) for someone that isn't as committed to playing cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chrome Mox" href="#" target="_blank">Chrome Mox</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>This deck is made for players that like to feel like they're putting a puzzle together each turn. The decision trees start to get complicated as early as turn two where you have to decide which commander to deploy first, and then what Equipment Cloud will fetch first. While it is incredibly fun to navigate those decision trees, they come with a very real risk. Even the most skilled pilot could make a wrong choice early on in a game and doom themselves in the process. I love the feeling of that risk hanging over my head, but it certainly isn't for everyone.</p>
<p>I love building for this variant of Commander, even if I only get to play it twice a year. I'm excited to see what interesting combinations the people at my local game store came up with this year, and I'm equally excited to hear about what pairings the people in the comments have come up with!</p>
<p>For more Malcolm, the Eyes content, be sure to check out <a href="https://commandersherald.com/60-to-100-legacy-delver/">my article</a> about him over on Commander's Herald. Even with all of the awesome tools recent sets have given us, I believe this version of the deck still holds up.</p>


Cloud, Midgar Mercenary &#038; Malcolm, the Eyes Pride Event Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CShiyu%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shiyu</a></em></p>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">With only <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/mill/azorius" target="_blank" rel="noopener">708 Azorius mill decks</a> on the site, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> brings a fresh look to the archetype by combining it with another, much more popular one: life gain. It's so popular that <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/lifegain/azorius" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Azorius has 4.4 thousand</a> decks on the site!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hope Estheim"></div></div>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A fresh take with a fresh-faced commander means only one thing left to do: dive in, and remind you that while I have never finaled a fantasy, I'm always <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nicnax96.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick</a>. And this is <em>Tech The Deck</em>.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for Hope Estheim</h2>
<h3>So Enchanting</h3>
<p>Today, I must go out of order when discussing cards. The reason is to shout out your Commander Mechanic and mine...Commander Mechanic. After seeing a <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/cmdrmechanic.bsky.social/post/3lpxhwh3vlc2q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post about Hope's synergy with two of my favorite cards</a>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delusions of Mediocrity" href="#" target="_blank">Delusions of Mediocrity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it only makes sense that they would inspire this deck.</p>
<p>They also did <a href="https://youtu.be/gT5rKB9CE54?si=w78Hbv50exbIrq1n" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an excellent video</a> on their version of the deck that everyone should watch.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Illusions of Grandeur"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Delusions of Mediocrity"></div></div>
<p>Both cards seem to have too much risk and not enough reward. Most players might not even know these are real cards. Even fewer would believe me when I tell them that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was part of a <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/trix-2008-09-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top-tier deck named Trix</a>.</p>
<p>For two cards I think about far too often, I'm ashamed that their synergy with Hope slipped my mind. Now they will only slip inside a sleeve as I put them into this deck.</p>
<p>The ability to gain 10 or 20 life off only one card would typically be worth nothing in the Commander format. But when that turns into the rest of the table getting milled for 10 to 20 cards, we're on to something. What would be even better for us would be finding a way to do it more than once.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Copy Enchantment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirrormade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Estrid&#039;s Invocation"></div></div>
<p>One great thing about enchantments is that they love to find ways to make copies of other enchantments. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Copy Enchantment" href="#" target="_blank">Copy Enchantment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card whose name tells you exactly what the card does: It copies an enchantment. You can use this to get a copy of an opponent's enchantment, but they won't have anything as good as an Illusion or Delusion.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrormade" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrormade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes with the added benefit of duplicating an artifact, and, like above, the table certainly won't have anything as good as we're working with, but if they do, we get one too.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Estrid&#039;s Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Estrid&#039;s Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems to be tailor made for this deck. Not only does it copy an enchantment for us, but it can do it every time we get an upkeep - every upkeep, gaining 20 life and milling 60 cards total from the table. Yes please.</p>
<p>We have one last way to get copies of enchantments from our enchantments in this deck: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extravagant Replication" href="#" target="_blank">Extravagant Replication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. At <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, this card is at the higher end of our mana value, but after just a few turns, it might get us everything we need to win the game.</p>
<p>It will also do a fine job of giving us extra copies of a few of the next set of cards.</p>
<h3>Twice As Much Instead</h3>
<p>Mill decks over the years have been no strangers to powerful artifacts, with possibly the most well-known being the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mesmeric Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Mesmeric Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While the Orb doesn't make the 99 of this deck, some other powerful artifacts do.</p>
<p>The first is a card most people ignore until it's too late: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venser&#039;s Journal" href="#" target="_blank">Venser&#039;s Journal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Giving no maximum hand size as an effect is often a bonus for cards with something better to do. When it comes to the Journal, it's a key part of why the card is good.</p>
<p>If this card capped out at gaining seven life, it might still get some play, but having an upper end defined by how many cards you can draw guarantees it gets in decks.</p>
<p>A newcomer to the lifegain suite of cards comes courtesy of <em>Final Fantasy, </em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wind Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Wind Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span><em>. </em>Cost reduction on white spells, which make up 63% of the deck, doubling up our lifegain and, in turn, our milling, makes it an easy inclusion.</p>
<p>Finally, some oldie but goodies from Commander games of the past.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Well of Lost Dreams"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Well of Lost Dreams" href="#" target="_blank">Well of Lost Dreams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a key to this deck turning something like a trigger off of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delusions of Mediocrity" href="#" target="_blank">Delusions of Mediocrity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into possibly ten fresh cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive" href="#" target="_blank">Alhammarret&#039;s Archive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a mainstay in Lifegain decks, so it's a mainstay in this deck. Both cards will be out simultaneously, keeping our cards flowing and our opponents drawing on an empty deck.</p>
<h3>Enchanting</h3>
<p>The core of this deck acts as a typical Enchantress deck. So, the creatures within will look different from those in a typical Lifegain lineup.</p>
<p>The first thing every Enchantress deck needs is the Enchantress creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inquisitive Glimmer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Entity Tracker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Starfield Mystic"></div></div>
<p>Every Enchantress worth their salt does one of two things: they draw a card whenever we play an enchantment or when one enters, or they reduce how expensive our enchantments are to cast. Sadly, none of these creatures do both.</p>
<p>Our other non-Enchantress creatures in the deck also do their best to help.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Will, Scion of Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Will, Scion of Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, helps turn our lifegain into cost reduction on spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides us with an army to keep up the pressure and keep our life high, and giving Pegasus creatures lifelink has never been more relevant than in this deck. This deck runs <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Herd" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Herd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and likes it.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, Sun-Crowned" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, Sun-Crowned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, the Radiant Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, the Radiant Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not be the best of friends with one another, but they do love the rest of the characters in this deck.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gogo, Master of Mimicry" href="#" target="_blank">Gogo, Master of Mimicry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be from a different game in the franchise, but they do work great with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Gogo copying Hope's ability multiple times a turn is an easy way to win a game out of nowhere on any turn where we can gain a substantial amount of life.</p>
<h3>Clerical</h3>
<p>One creature in this deck must be highlighted. Not only does it give us life; not only is it cheap to cast; not only does it provide us with a combo angle for the deck; it also has some killer art.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faith Healer"></div></div>
<p>The game doesn't have many ways to sacrifice an enchantment, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faith Healer" href="#" target="_blank">Faith Healer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does this with no downside. It's not restricted to sorcery speed only, and no mana or life has to be paid to activate it either. The card <em>gains us life</em>.</p>
<p>The combo aspect this card allows us is the primary focus for its inclusion. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Illusions of Grandeur" href="#" target="_blank">Illusions of Grandeur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will eventually put itself into the yard, not all of our enchantments have that same ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faith Healer" href="#" target="_blank">Faith Healer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> saves the day.</p>
<p>But why are we putting these cards into the yard? To bring them all back, of course.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dance of the Manse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Open the Vaults"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Second Sunrise"></div></div>
<p>Sending our enchantments to the graveyard looks silly until any of these cards end up in our hands while we do it. While not the most potent combo ever assembled and not the best example of just how powerful <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Second Sunrise" href="#" target="_blank">Second Sunrise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be as a card, this will catch a table off guard.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Resplendent Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Resplendent Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Famished Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Famished Paladin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can combine to mill an entire table out all at once.</p>
<h3>Spice Rack</h3>
<p>No Commander deck is complete without a few spicy inclusions. And this deck is no stranger to spice.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ondu Spiritdancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ondu Spiritdancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets themselves onto the copy train every turn. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angel of Destiny" href="#" target="_blank">Angel of Destiny</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to win the game with an alternative plan after opponents catch on to the primary strategy.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Congregate" href="#" target="_blank">Congregate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can gain the most absurd amount of life of any card ever printed, and at the low cost of not blowing up the board. And possible new Lifegain staple <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elixir" href="#" target="_blank">Elixir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> shuffles back all the good stuff so you can use it again.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>The <em>Final Fantasy</em> set is a strange one for me. I have no connection with the characters, and haven't played any of the games. But at the same time, I'm connected to so many of these cards because of how cool they are for the game.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hope Estheim" href="#" target="_blank">Hope Estheim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> took me a few reads to understand just how cool it is, and I feel that will be happening with many of these cards for years to come.</p>
<p>Thanks to the set, I know that many amazing strategies are coming for the first time, and many more are getting new toys to play with. If you want to see those strategies and the cards that help them, check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-commander-deck-techs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all of the great content</a> by our fantastic group of writers.</p>
<p>If you want to know my thoughts on more cards, check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/nicholas-lucchesi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all my articles here</a>. With <em>Edge of Eternities</em> on the horizon and trips to New York (Spider-Man) and the Fire Nation (Avatar), I'll have no shortage of cool cards to discuss.</p>
<p>As always, I have been Nick. This has been <em>Tech The Deck</em>, and you can find me anywhere you can spell nicnax96 on the internet.</p>
<h2>Hope Estheim Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tech The Deck - Hope Estheim" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Hope Estheim
[/Commander]
[Instant]
*1 Absorb
*1 Beacon of Immortality
*1 Congregate
*1 Faithful Mending
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Heliod&#039;s Intervention
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Restoration Magic
*1 Revitalize
*1 Second Sunrise
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Sphinx&#039;s Revelation
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Teferi&#039;s Time Twist
*1 Thirst for Meaning
[/Instant]
[Artifact]
*1 Alhammarret&#039;s Archive
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Elixir
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 The Wind Crystal
*1 Venser&#039;s Journal
*1 Well of Lost Dreams
*1 Zuran Orb
[/Artifact]
[Creature]
*1 Angel of Destiny
*1 Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace
*1 Drogskol Reaver
*1 Entity Tracker
*1 Faith Healer
*1 Famished Paladin
*1 Ghostly Dancers
*1 Gogo, Master of Mimicry
*1 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
*1 Heliod, the Radiant Dawn // Heliod, the Warped Eclipse
*1 Inquisitive Glimmer
*1 Kwain, Itinerant Meddler
*1 Ondu Spiritdancer
*1 Resplendent Mentor
*1 Rhox Faithmender
*1 Shabraz, the Skyshark
*1 Starfield Mystic
*1 Will, Scion of Peace
[/Creature]
[Enchantment]
*1 Authority of the Consuls
*1 Copy Enchantment
*1 Delusions of Mediocrity
*1 Estrid&#039;s Invocation
*1 Extravagant Replication
*1 Ghostly Prison
*1 Grasp of Fate
*1 Illusions of Grandeur
*1 Land Tax
*1 Mirrormade
*1 Propaganda
*1 Sigil of the Empty Throne
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Sphere of Safety
[/Enchantment]
[Sorcery]
*1 Dance of the Manse
*1 Fumigate
*1 Idyllic Tutor
*1 Open the Vaults
*1 Sanctify
*1 Storm Herd
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Adventurer&#039;s Inn
*1 Azorius Chancery
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Ishgard, the Holy See // Faith &amp; Grief
*7 Island
*1 Jidoor, Aristocratic Capital // Overture
*1 Kabira Crossroads
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Nimbus Maze
*9 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Radiant Fountain
*1 Sea of Clouds
[/Land]"></span></div>


Building an Azorius Mill Commander Deck With Hope Estheim

How Fun Are the Final Fantasy Main Set Commanders?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zell Dincht" href="#" target="_blank">Zell Dincht</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kevin_sidharta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Sidharta</a></em></p>
<p>"My weapons are these fists of mine!" is amazing flavor text for a <em>Magic</em> card, and these words aren't far from the truth for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zell Dincht" href="#" target="_blank">Zell Dincht</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zell Dincht"></div></div>
<p>I know next to nothing about <em>Final Fantasy</em>, but when seeing this legendary creature relatively early on in spoiler season, I was immediately intrigued.</p>
<p>Was it the most powerful commander I've ever seen? No. Was it the most unique commander I've ever seen? Also no, but it's pretty close. Mono-red Landfall? There's got to be some way to break that, right?</p>
<p>I've covered Landfall and Lands Matter themes in my <em>Bottom of the Barrel</em> series before, so I'm no stranger to "off-color" Landfall decks. An "off-color" <em>mono-color</em> Landfall deck, however, seems like the perfect challenge.</p>
<p>On its face, this commander seems like it's trying to lead you in one specific direction, but I've decided to take this brew and sculpt it like my old "Power Throw" <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Juri, Master of the Revue" href="#" target="_blank">Juri, Master of the Revue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. With this in mind, we really only need a few lands on board for our commander to do ridiculous amounts of damage.</p>
<p>Allow me to explain...</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Zell Dincht</h2>
<h3>Category #1: "Pump It Up"</h3>
<p>As previously mentioned, I'll be basing this brew on a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Juri, Master of the Revue" href="#" target="_blank">Juri, Master of the Revue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> list that I loved dearly, largely inspired by my fellow EDHREC writer, Dana Roach. Dana's build of Juri focused specifically on Treasures as a way to make Juri as big as possible, as fast as possible.</p>
<p>I don't have the Treasure synergies here, but I <em>do </em>have the pump spells that made Juri sing. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wine of Blood and Iron" href="#" target="_blank">Wine of Blood and Iron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a repeatable way to double our commander's power, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fatal Frenzy" href="#" target="_blank">Fatal Frenzy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubles power <em>and gives trample</em>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Battle Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Battle Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants double strike and trample.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wine of Blood and Iron"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fatal Frenzy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Battle Rage"></div></div>
<p>These spells are only a small sample of what makes our deck really cook. A few more examples include: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Granite Grip" href="#" target="_blank">Granite Grip</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give our commander twice the boost from our lands, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Downhill Charge" href="#" target="_blank">Downhill Charge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give our commander an instant-speed boost, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overblaze" href="#" target="_blank">Overblaze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to double the damage our commander will deal no matter their power.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Granite Grip"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Downhill Charge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overblaze"></div></div>
<p>We can pump our commander all we want, but if we can't hit someone for damage, what do we do?</p>
<h3>Category #2: Dealing Direct Damage</h3>
<p>I like to describe the cards in this category as "Fling" and "Fling Adjacent" because they allow our pumped commander to deal direct damage. Hopefully, it'll be enough to kill an opponent in one shot.</p>
<p>The most obvious inclusion in this category is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as it's a way for our big commander to be "thrown" at an opponent. Other great inclusions are: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul&#039;s Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Soul&#039;s Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as way to deal damage without sacrificing our commander, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a way to kill everyone (hopefully).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soul&#039;s Fire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandra&#039;s Ignition"></div></div>
<p>Outside of direct damage, we need to include plenty of ways to give our commander evasion...</p>
<h3>Category #3: Granting Evasion</h3>
<p>Yes, getting a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> kill would be amazing, but it's not always guaranteed.</p>
<p>There are few ways we can push damage in this deck, whether it be through granting flying with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ebony Fly" href="#" target="_blank">Ebony Fly</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, granting trample with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archetype of Aggression" href="#" target="_blank">Archetype of Aggression</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadowspear" href="#" target="_blank">Shadowspear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or making it unblockable with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brotherhood Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">Brotherhood Regalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ebony Fly"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archetype of Aggression"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shadowspear"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brotherhood Regalia"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue&#039;s Passage"></div></div>
<h3>Category #4: Burn</h3>
<p>Outside of the Voltron plan, we have a small Burn package as our backup plan.</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sabotender" href="#" target="_blank">Sabotender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tunneling Geopede" href="#" target="_blank">Tunneling Geopede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both provide damage when our lands enter;</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Koth, Fire of Resistance" href="#" target="_blank">Koth, Fire of Resistance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can ultimate and provide us with a game-ending emblem;</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Themberchaud" href="#" target="_blank">Themberchaud</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can act as a board wipe and great source of burn;</li>
<li>And <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle" href="#" target="_blank">Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns every Mountain we play into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sabotender"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tunneling Geopede"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Koth, Fire of Resistance"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Themberchaud"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Bolt"></div></div>
<h2>Zell Dincht Commander Deck List</h2>
<p>Check out my deck list below!</p>
<div>
<div>
<div id="deck_for_archidekt_scraper"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Zell Dincht" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zell Dincht
[/Commander]
[Enchantments]
*1 Claws of Valakut
*1 Glacial Crevasses
*1 Granite Grip
*1 Retreat to Valakut
*1 Tectonic Reformation
*1 Valakut Exploration
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Downhill Charge
*1 Fatal Frenzy
*1 Fling
*1 Kazuul&#039;s Fury // Kazuul&#039;s Cliffs
*1 Overblaze
*1 Rush of Blood
*1 Siege Smash
*1 Soul&#039;s Fire
*1 Temur Battle Rage
*1 Untimely Malfunction
*1 Valakut Awakening // Valakut Stoneforge
*1 Wild Magic Surge
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Archetype of Aggression
*1 Bonehoard Dracosaur
*1 Brash Taunter
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Embodiment of Fury
*1 PuPu UFO
*1 Sabotender
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Themberchaud
*1 Tunneling Geopede
*1 Walking Atlas
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Adventuring Gear
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bitterthorn, Nissa&#039;s Animus
*1 Blackblade Reforged
*1 Brotherhood Regalia
*1 Cursed Mirror
*1 Ebony Fly
*1 Ghirapur Orrery
*1 Hithlain Rope
*1 Horn of Greed
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Realmbreaker, the Invasion Tree
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sundial of the Infinite
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Forge and Frontier
*1 Sword of Hearth and Home
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Thaumatic Compass // Spires of Orazca
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Wine of Blood and Iron
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Koth, Fire of Resistance
[/Planeswalkers]
[Sorceries]
*1 Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*1 Cleansing Wildfire
*1 Crash Through
*1 Nahiri&#039;s Lithoforming
*1 Shatterskull Smashing // Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass
*1 Sundering Eruption // Volcanic Fissure
*1 Wheel of Misfortune
[/Sorceries]
[Battles]
*1 Invasion of Kaldheim // Pyre of the World Tree
[/Battles]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Diamond City
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Field of the Dead
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Glacial Chasm
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 Horizon of Progress
*1 Maze of Ith
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*20 Snow-Covered Mountain
*1 Thespian&#039;s Stage
*1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
*1 Vesuva
*1 War Room
*1 Witch&#039;s Clinic
[/Lands]"></span></div></p>
<h2>Closing Thoughts on Zell Dincht</h2>
<p>That will do it for our deck tech on Zell Dincht. It was so cool to explore a Voltron space with a Landfall flavor, and I hope this inspires you to make your own brew around Zell Dincht!</p>


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