<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daxos the Returned" href="#" target="_blank">Daxos the Returned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.adampaquettemtg.com/">Adam Paquette</a></em></p>
<h2>Returning from the Underworld</h2>
<p>Greetings and welcome to <em>Precon</em> <em>Remastered</em>! Here is where we unearth old preconstructed decks from their graves and give them new life (perhaps with a special, golden mask, too!). This week, we're kicking off the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/c15"><em>Commander 2015</em></a> festivities with a commander who was relatively obscure until recently, when it spiked because of <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/silverquill-influence">a precon</a> helmed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Killian, Decisive Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Killian, Decisive Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (cool deck, by the way). Which one do I mean? This one.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daxos the Returned"></div></div>
<p>Poor, poor Daxos. Impaled by his <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Elspeth_Tirel">girlfriend</a> because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> got really cheeky and needed to become a god so bad. In any case, his card holds a unique niche in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/enchantress">enchantress</a> pantheon. He, along with a couple of other <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/orzhov">Orzhov</a> commanders (including the aforementioned Killian), are the only ways to play an enchantment deck within these colors. Daxos gives us an experience counter for each enchantment that gets cast. On top of that, we could make some big enchantment beaters for three mana.</p>
<h3>Gaining Our Bearings</h3>
<p>As always, here are our rules for remastering precons:</p>
<ol>
<li>The value of the deck cannot exceed $120. This will apply to the reprints only, which gets to my first personal quirk.</li>
<li>Every card unique to the original precon stays in the deck. All those new cards that get released with precons remain in the list.</li>
<li>The land package should closely reflect what we get in precons these days (and, in my humble opinion, they're actually pretty good).</li>
<li>At least until 2020, we're not tied to a particular set, so we're free to choose whatever we want. You can be assured I have ideas for 2020 and beyond, though.</li>
<li>Universes Beyond cards are not added. No exceptions, unless they have an in-universe variant. Granted, this will change when we get there.</li>
</ol>
<p>With that out of the way, let's see what the original list looked like.</p>
<h2>The Original Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Call the Spirits - Commander 2015" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Daxos the Returned
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ajani&#039;s Chosen
*1 Banshee of the Dread Choir
*1 Bastion Protector
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Celestial Ancient
*1 Celestial Archon
*1 Corpse Augur
*1 Dawnglare Invoker
*1 Doomwake Giant
*1 Dreadbringer Lampads
*1 Fate Unraveler
*1 Ghostblade Eidolon
*1 Herald of the Host
*1 Karlov of the Ghost Council
*1 Kor Sanctifiers
*1 Mesa Enchantress
*1 Monk Idealist
*1 Nighthowler
*1 Oreskos Explorer
*1 Sandstone Oracle
*1 Silent Sentinel
*1 Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts
*1 Thief of Blood
*1 Treasury Thrull
*1 Underworld Coinsmith
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ancient Craving
*1 Dawn to Dusk
*1 Deadly Tempest
*1 Death Grasp
*1 Gild
*1 Open the Vaults
*1 Righteous Confluence
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Crystal Chimes
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Orzhov Cluestone
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aura of Silence
*1 Banishing Light
*1 Black Market
*1 Cage of Hands
*1 Daxos&#039;s Torment
*1 Dictate of Heliod
*1 Fallen Ideal
*1 Grasp of Fate
*1 Grave Peril
*1 Karmic Justice
*1 Marshal&#039;s Anthem
*1 Necromancer&#039;s Covenant
*1 Phyrexian Arena
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Seal of Cleansing
*1 Seal of Doom
*1 Shielded by Faith
*1 Sigil of the Empty Throne
*1 Underworld Connections
*1 Vow of Duty
*1 Vow of Malice
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 New Benalia
*1 Orzhov Basilica
*1 Orzhov Guildgate
*11 Plains
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Scoured Barrens
*1 Secluded Steppe
*13 Swamp
*1 Tainted Field
*1 Temple of the False God
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Vivid Marsh
*1 Vivid Meadow
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Regrets in Life</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karlov of the Ghost Council"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dawnglare Invoker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Underworld Coinsmith"></div></div>
<p>Firstly, we can see that precons have been improving, but only a little. It'd be years before we see something substantial. Secondly, there is evidence of an identity crisis with this deck, splitting it between Enchantress and <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/lifegain">Lifegain</a>. A lot of the life gain is primarily for the secondary commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karlov of the Ghost Council" href="#" target="_blank">Karlov of the Ghost Council</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Make no mistake, he is a powerful card, but he does not belong here. Sadly, he has to remain because of the rules.</p>
<p>The good news, though, is that there are a few enchantments that actually help Karlov. However, he's not the commander for this deck, so any life gain we make is more accidental than intentional. In fact, our priority when remastering this deck is to amass a large number of experience counters.</p>
<p>There's also a good amount of fluff among the reprints that can be easily cut, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dawnglare Invoker" href="#" target="_blank">Dawnglare Invoker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underworld Coinsmith" href="#" target="_blank">Underworld Coinsmith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We can do better than both of these, especially with over a decade's worth of cards being added to our card pool.</p>
<h3>The Newly Returned</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daxos&#039;s Torment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Herald of the Host"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Righteous Confluence"></div></div>
<p>Before we get to the remastered list, let's discuss the new cards. One of my biggest gripes with this precon is that the creature count is too high for where I need it to be. This is unfortunately off the back of the new cards, like the myriad pair (e.g., <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Herald of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corpse Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Corpse Augur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which does not belong here. Neither did the backup commander I mentioned above, to be fair.</p>
<p>However, for all the flak I give the new cards in this precon, <em>Commander 2015</em> does introduce one of my favorite cycles in the game: Confluences! Unfortunately, for this week, we're stuck with the worst of the cycle, relatively speaking. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Righteous Confluence" href="#" target="_blank">Righteous Confluence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> here means that our backup commander is ready to remove something while we gain 15 life. That said, we're also likely going to exile a troublesome enchantment and/or make a few tokens.</p>
<p>Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daxos&#039;s Torment" href="#" target="_blank">Daxos&#039;s Torment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> reminds me of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cacophony Unleashed" href="#" target="_blank">Cacophony Unleashed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in that each enchantment that comes in animates them for some brutal beatings. Except Cacophony also board wipes on entry, but it forgoes haste while getting other keywords (spoilers: it's in the remastered version).</p>
<h2>The Remastered Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Call the Spirits-Remastered" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Daxos the Returned
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Agent of Erebos
*1 Ajani&#039;s Chosen
*1 Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace
*1 Banshee of the Dread Choir
*1 Bastion Protector
*1 Celestial Archon
*1 Corpse Augur
*1 Demon of Fate&#039;s Design
*1 Doomwake Giant
*1 Eidolon of Astral Winds
*1 Eidolon of Countless Battles
*1 Eiganjo Dynastorian // Replenish
*1 Ghostblade Eidolon
*1 Ghostly Dancers
*1 Grim Guardian
*1 Herald of the Host
*1 Karlov of the Ghost Council
*1 Mesa Enchantress
*1 Nighthowler
*1 Oreskos Explorer
*1 Sandstone Oracle
*1 Soaring Lightbringer
*1 Starfield Mystic
*1 Starnheim Courser
*1 Thief of Blood
*1 Underworld Coinsmith
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ancient Craving
*1 Deadly Tempest
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Open the Vaults
*1 Righteous Confluence
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Hierarchy
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Banishing Light
*1 Black Market
*1 Boon of the Spirit Realm
*1 Cacophony Unleashed
*1 Cage of Hands
*1 Conviction
*1 Darksteel Mutation
*1 Daxos&#039;s Torment
*1 Flickering Ward
*1 Grasp of Fate
*1 Intangible Virtue
*1 Karmic Justice
*1 Phyrexian Arena
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Seal of Cleansing
*1 Shackles
*1 Shielded by Faith
*1 Sigil of the Empty Throne
*1 Sun Clasp
*1 Underworld Connections
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Despark
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Command Tower
*1 Desolate Mire
*1 Eclipsed Steppe
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Fetid Heath
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Myriad Landscape
*12 Plains
*1 Shattered Sanctum
*12 Swamp
*1 Tainted Field
*1 Temple of Silence
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Umbral Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>A New, Enchanting Life</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flickering Ward"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archon of Sun&#039;s Grace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soaring Lightbringer"></div></div>
<p>List cost (at time of writing): $108.84</p>
<p>Remastered Cost (again, at time of writing): $111.24</p>
<p>That's not much of a bump in price, and we're well below the $120 threshold. And the fixes are sure to give our commander more firepower. I've added a few cards that you can activate to return them to our hand. That way, we can cast them again and again to build up our experience counters! The best of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flickering Ward" href="#" target="_blank">Flickering Ward</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has the added benefit of protecting our key creatures.</p>
<p>On top of that, we also have more ways to build up an army of tokens. Both <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soaring Lightbringer" href="#" target="_blank">Soaring Lightbringer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> make tokens when enchantments enter and when we attack, respectively. Lightbringer, though, has the added benefit of giving the spirits made from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daxos the Returned" href="#" target="_blank">Daxos the Returned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> flying, so we get some evasion. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Dancers" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Dancers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes flying tokens when enchantments enter, and also lets us reclaim one from our graveyard on entry.</p>
<h3>A Second Life</h3>
<p>Comparing this precon with the one helmed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Killian, Decisive Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Killian, Decisive Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the latter's better in many ways, but that doesn't mean this precon isn't a good place to look for upgrades. I point to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daxos the Returned" href="#" target="_blank">Daxos the Returned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s price spike as an example of this take. Anyway, while we have a spicier precon to cover soon, next week we return to the other series, <em>Commander Makeover</em>, so I'll see you all then.</p>


Commander 2015's Call the Spirits | Precon Remastered

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Freyalise, Llanowar&#039;s Fury|C14|43" href="#" target="_blank">Freyalise, Llanowar&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.adampaquettemtg.com/">Adam Paquette</a></em></p>
<h2>Time to Eat Some Greens!</h2>
<p>...Yes, that's some advice for everyone. Eat your veggies.</p>
<p>Anyway, welcome back to <em>Precon Remastered</em>, where we take preconstructed Commander decks from ancient days and give them a modern makeover. Today, we're going to round out our coverage of <em>Commander 2014</em> with the final deck, diving into mono-green. Who, though, happens to be our commander?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Freyalise, Llanowar&#039;s Fury"></div></div>
<p>Our commander's fairly straightforward. Her +2 ability gives us an equivalent of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Llanowar Elves" href="#" target="_blank">Llanowar Elves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (as if there weren't enough functional reprints of it already), ramping us for five mana. Wheee! Her -2 will blow up a troublesome artifact or enchantment, should we need it. Lastly, her ultimate is effectively <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regal Force" href="#" target="_blank">Regal Force</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a staple in Elf decks from a bygone era (and yes, I now feel older than dirt).</p>
<h3>Preparing an Elvish Salad</h3>
<p>As always, here are our rules for remastering precons:</p>
<ol>
<li>The value of the deck cannot exceed $120. This will apply to the reprints only, which gets to my first personal quirk.</li>
<li>Every card unique to the original precon stays in the deck. All those new cards that get released with precons remain in the list.</li>
<li>The land package should closely reflect what we get in precons these days (and, in my humble opinion, they're actually pretty good).</li>
<li>At least until 2020, we're not tied to a particular set, so we're free to choose whatever we want. You can be assured I have ideas for 2020 and beyond, though.</li>
<li>Universes Beyond cards are not added. No exceptions, unless they have an in-universe variant. Granted, this will change when we get there.</li>
</ol>
<p>With that out of the way, let's take a good look at what the precon looked like originally.</p>
<h3>The Original List</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Guided by Nature - Commander 2014" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Freyalise, Llanowar&#039;s Fury
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Creeperhulk
*1 Drove of Elves
*1 Elvish Archdruid
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Elvish Skysweeper
*1 Elvish Visionary
*1 Essence Warden
*1 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
*1 Farhaven Elf
*1 Grave Sifter
*1 Immaculate Magistrate
*1 Imperious Perfect
*1 Joraga Warcaller
*1 Lifeblood Hydra
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Lys Alana Huntmaster
*1 Masked Admirers
*1 Priest of Titania
*1 Primordial Sage
*1 Rampaging Baloths
*1 Reclamation Sage
*1 Siege Behemoth
*1 Silklash Spider
*1 Soul of the Harvest
*1 Sylvan Ranger
*1 Sylvan Safekeeper
*1 Terastodon
*1 Thornweald Archer
*1 Thunderfoot Baloth
*1 Timberwatch Elf
*1 Titania&#039;s Chosen
*1 Titania, Protector of Argoth
*1 Tornado Elemental
*1 Wellwisher
*1 Wolfbriar Elemental
*1 Wood Elves
*1 Wren&#039;s Run Packmaster
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Fresh Meat
*1 Harrow
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Collective Unconscious
*1 Desert Twister
*1 Grim Flowering
*1 Hunting Triad
*1 Overrun
*1 Overwhelming Stampede
*1 Praetor&#039;s Counsel
*1 Sylvan Offering
*1 Wave of Vitriol
*1 Whirlwind
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Assault Suit
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Emerald Medallion
*1 Loreseeker&#039;s Stone
*1 Moss Diamond
*1 Predator, Flagship
*1 Seer&#039;s Sundial
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Beastmaster Ascension
*1 Song of the Dryads
*1 Wolfcaller&#039;s Howl
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Crystal Vein
*1 Evolving Wilds
*25 Forest
*1 Gargoyle Castle
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Haunted Fengraf
*1 Havenwood Battleground
*1 Jungle Basin
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
*1 Slippery Karst
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Tranquil Thicket
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Two Shades of Broccoli</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Titania, Protector of Argoth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ezuri, Renegade Leader"></div></div>
<p>Frequent readers of this series will find an issue that sounds very familiar. In an unexpected (but unsurprising) callback to the <em>Commander 2013</em> precons, we have a deck with a split identity in our hands. The contenders? <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/elves">Elves</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/lands-matter">Lands</a>. The difference is that our commander's so generic that she could technically be better served in the 99.</p>
<p>That said, I am obligated to run her at the helm here. In doing this, we effectively called the shot. We have a smattering of Elf kindred cards here like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezuri, Renegade Leader" href="#" target="_blank">Ezuri, Renegade Leader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elvish Archdruid" href="#" target="_blank">Elvish Archdruid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, both staples of the archetype.</p>
<p>On the other hand, we have a Lands deck of a kind, spearheaded by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titania, Protector of Argoth" href="#" target="_blank">Titania, Protector of Argoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Anyone familiar with the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hearthhull, the Worldseed" href="#" target="_blank">Hearthhull, the Worldseed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will see that she's better off there than here. Unfortunately, we are bound by the rules, so she dodges the bullet for now. I imagine, after throwing out the rules, she'd be the first cut.</p>
<p>Oh, wait. I gave my scheme away. We're doing Elves! Again!</p>
<h3>Weeding Out the Weak (and/or Pricey)</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Joraga Warcaller"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beastmaster Ascension"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Praetor&#039;s Counsel"></div></div>
<p>At the time of writing, the precon is about $15 over our limit, which isn't bad. The problem, however, is that our most expensive cards are either new to the precon (and thus can't be cut) or are very married to one of the two themes above. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joraga Warcaller" href="#" target="_blank">Joraga Warcaller</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> exemplifies this as its price tag is off the back of countless Elf decks out there.</p>
<p>Other big value cards include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beastmaster Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Beastmaster Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is nice if we're going wide. Again, the new cards carry a lot of value. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Sifter" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Sifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of the Dryads" href="#" target="_blank">Song of the Dryads</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> find homes in decks beyond the precon. In fact, Sifter's price spiked because of a precon from this year.</p>
<p>However, all this chat about card prices raises another issue: regardless of the direction we take this precon, the prices of the upgrades won't come cheaply, and to hit the $120 range, we have to cut a number of the expensive cards to ensure we can fit them in.</p>
<p>That leaves us with one recourse: a makeover.</p>
<h3><em>Guided by Nature</em> Remastered</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Guided by Nature Remastered" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Freyalise, Llanowar&#039;s Fury
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Benevolent Hydra
*1 Creeperhulk
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Farhaven Elf
*1 Gargos, Vicious Watcher
*1 Goldvein Hydra
*1 Grave Sifter
*1 Heroes&#039; Bane
*1 Hooded Hydra
*1 Hydra Broodmaster
*1 Hydra Omnivore
*1 Ironscale Hydra
*1 Lifeblood Hydra
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Managorger Hydra
*1 Mistcutter Hydra
*1 Nessian Wilds Ravager
*1 Nyxborn Hydra
*1 Oran-Rief Hydra
*1 Polukranos, World Eater
*1 Primordial Hydra
*1 Rampant Rejuvenator
*1 Reclamation Sage
*1 Siege Behemoth
*1 Silklash Spider
*1 Steelbane Hydra
*1 Thunderfoot Baloth
*1 Titania, Protector of Argoth
*1 Ulvenwald Hydra
*1 Warden of the Grove
*1 Whiptongue Hydra
*1 Wood Elves
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Fresh Meat
*1 Harrow
*1 Krosan Grip
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cultivate
*1 Harmonize
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Overwhelming Stampede
*1 Praetor&#039;s Counsel
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Shamanic Revelation
*1 Sylvan Offering
*1 Wave of Vitriol
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Assault Suit
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Emerald Medallion
*1 Lifecrafter&#039;s Bestiary
*1 Moss Diamond
*1 Sol Ring
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Elemental Bond
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
*1 Kenrith&#039;s Transformation
*1 Rites of Flourishing
*1 Song of the Dryads
*1 Thickest in the Thicket
*1 Wolfcaller&#039;s Howl
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Crystal Vein
*1 Evolving Wilds
*25 Forest
*1 Gargoyle Castle
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Haunted Fengraf
*1 Havenwood Battleground
*1 Jungle Basin
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
*1 Slippery Karst
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Tranquil Thicket
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Stay Hydra-ted</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Polukranos, World Eater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gargos, Vicious Watcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hydra Omnivore"></div></div>
<p>That's right. Hail HYDRA!</p>
<p>If you went back in time to when this deck list was revealed, you'd see me hoping for some good ramp and big monsters to smash opponents with. And, if you ask me now, this is what the precon should've been (Hydra theme optional). I went with Hydras because of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Sifter" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Sifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the deck needed to pack an even bigger wallop. We still have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titania, Protector of Argoth" href="#" target="_blank">Titania, Protector of Argoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but she'd get the boot fast enough.</p>
<p>With <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Freyalise, Llanowar&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Freyalise, Llanowar&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at the helm, the ult isn't so important. She's mostly making dorks while sniping the occasional artifact or enchantment. Besides, we have much better card draw than her now. Drop the rules here, too, and she's going to get usurped by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gargos, Vicious Watcher" href="#" target="_blank">Gargos, Vicious Watcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That said, she'd be at home in the 99.</p>
<h3>Sunsetting Another Set of Precons</h3>
<p>That about does it for our only set of monocolor precons (barring the Starter ones coming out in October). Now I turn to you, the reader: what would you have done differently, if not Hydras? Were there, in fact, enough cheap cards to make Elves or Lands work? Or was I in the right to avoid both like I did (provided that the rules were followed)?</p>
<p>Anyway, next week, we return to my other series, <em>Commander Makeover</em>, covering what could very well be the first commander we'd consider as an autopilot (something I'll cover then). After that, we begin <em>Commander 2015 </em>in earnest. See you all next time!</p>


Guided by Nature | Precon Remastered

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Scrap Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Scrap Savant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://danscottart.com/">Dan Scott</a></em></p>
<h2>Entering the Junkyard</h2>
<p>Welcome to another edition of <em>Precon Remastered</em>! Here, we take older precons and polish them for the modern era. This week, we're tackling what I think is the best of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/c14"><em>Commander 2014</em></a> precons. I remember this precon well, and it's one I have some fond memories of. Without further ado, the commander for this week:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daretti, Scrap Savant"></div></div>
<p>It's easy to see why <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Scrap Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Scrap Savant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is popular: he's card draw, he has a powerful emblem (assuming we get there), and the minus ability is very exploitable. From netting value to bringing back big, hulking machines (even both!), there's a lot of stuff that can be done. But first, the rules.</p>
<h3>Scrapyard Rules</h3>
<p>As always, here are our rules for remastering precons:</p>
<ol>
<li>The value of the deck cannot exceed $120. This will apply to the reprints only, which gets to my first personal quirk.</li>
<li>Every card unique to the original precon stays in the deck. All those new cards that get released with precons remain in the list.</li>
<li>The land package should closely reflect what we get in precons these days (and, in my humble opinion, they're actually pretty good).</li>
<li>At least until 2020, we're not tied to a particular set, so we're free to choose whatever we want. You can be assured I have ideas for 2020 and beyond, though.</li>
<li>Universes Beyond cards are not added. No exceptions, unless they have an in-universe variant. Granted, this will change when we get there.</li>
</ol>
<p>With that out of the way, let's take a good look at what the precon looked like originally.</p>
<h3>The Original List</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Built from Scratch - Commander 2014" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Beetleback Chief
*1 Bogardan Hellkite
*1 Bosh, Iron Golem
*1 Bottle Gnomes
*1 Cathodion
*1 Dualcaster Mage
*1 Epochrasite
*1 Feldon of the Third Path
*1 Flametongue Kavu
*1 Goblin Welder
*1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
*1 Ingot Chewer
*1 Junk Diver
*1 Myr Battlesphere
*1 Myr Retriever
*1 Myr Sire
*1 Palladium Myr
*1 Pentavus
*1 Pilgrim&#039;s Eye
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Spitebellows
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Tuktuk the Explorer
*1 Tyrant&#039;s Familiar
*1 Warmonger Hellkite
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Impact Resonance
*1 Magmaquake
*1 Starstorm
*1 Volcanic Offering
*1 Word of Seizing
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Incite Rebellion
*1 Scrap Mastery
*1 Whipflare
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Caged Sun
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Jalum Tome
*1 Liquimetal Coating
*1 Loreseeker&#039;s Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mycosynth Wellspring
*1 Panic Spellbomb
*1 Pristine Talisman
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Spine of Ish Sah
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Trading Post
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bitter Feud
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Dormant Volcano
*1 Flamekin Village
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Great Furnace
*29 Mountain
*1 Phyrexia&#039;s Core
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Smoldering Crater
*1 Temple of the False God
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Assessing the Scraps</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wurmcoil Engine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feldon of the Third Path"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dualcaster Mage"></div></div>
<p>The stock list is actually a good place to begin an artifact deck. While the deck does seem cohesive at first glance, there's a slight <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/etb">ETB</a> (enters the battlefield) subtheme because of the precon's secondary commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. He's useful in our 99, but he requires a more dedicated build to maximize his potential as a commander.</p>
<p>Speaking of new cards, they're rather all over the place here. We have a couple of gems, like the aforementioned Feldon and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we also have a few duds like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warmonger Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Warmonger Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flamekin Village" href="#" target="_blank">Flamekin Village</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are better off elsewhere. Among these, though, is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dualcaster Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Dualcaster Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The card's notorious for enabling infinite combos with the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Flicker" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Flicker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but it's much more tame here. We're more likely going to copy an opponent's spell than our own.</p>
<p>The reprints are a mixed bag. We have some weaker cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whipflare" href="#" target="_blank">Whipflare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we also get some absolute cinema options like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wurmcoil Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Wurmcoil Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which, at the time, caused quite a firestorm, in a good way. It was wild). A good number of them work with the theme of the deck, but as always, there's some work to do.</p>
<p>As we'll see, it won't take much to remaster this precon. A significant improvement over its predecessors, be they this year (so far), or the previous years. In fact, the price of the precon is actually under $120! It's really going to be about keeping it under the limit while improving on the card quality.</p>
<h3><em>Built from Scratch</em> Remastered</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Built from Scratch Remastered" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Caged Sun
*1 Collector&#039;s Vault
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fire Diamond
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Loreseeker&#039;s Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Mirage Mirror
*1 Mycosynth Wellspring
*1 Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk
*1 Ruby Medallion
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Spine of Ish Sah
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Tormod&#039;s Crypt
*1 Trading Post
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Anger
*1 Bosh, Iron Golem
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Dualcaster Mage
*1 Duplicant
*1 Feldon of the Third Path
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Goblin Welder
*1 Hellkite Igniter
*1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
*1 Junk Diver
*1 Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Myr Retriever
*1 Palladium Myr
*1 Ruin Grinder
*1 Scuttling Doom Engine
*1 Shimmer Myr
*1 Slobad, Iron Goblin
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Soul of New Phyrexia
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Triplicate Titan
*1 Tyrant&#039;s Familiar
*1 Warmonger Hellkite
*1 Wurmcoil Engine
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Big Score
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Demand Answers
*1 Impact Resonance
*1 Magmaquake
*1 Starstorm
*1 Volcanic Offering
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Incite Rebellion
*1 Scrap Mastery
*1 Trash for Treasure
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bitter Feud
*1 Pia&#039;s Revolution
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Flamekin Village
*1 Forgotten Cave
*1 Great Furnace
*30 Mountain
*1 Smoldering Crater
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>To a Fine Shine</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Combustible Gearhulk"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Triplicate Titan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient"></div></div>
<p>As we can see in the remastered list, it's a prime example of the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus">Ship of Theseus</a>" philosophy (you replace the weak cards, and add something new. Is it still a precon?). The main difference is that we've improved the card quality, including having more ways to discard cards without relying too much on our commander. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demand Answers" href="#" target="_blank">Demand Answers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathartic Reunion" href="#" target="_blank">Cathartic Reunion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will refill our hand for a negligible price. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Collector&#039;s Vault" href="#" target="_blank">Collector&#039;s Vault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a similar thing, but gives us a Treasure token as well.</p>
<p>We also have new ETB effects to work with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but this time with an artificial flair. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combustible Gearhulk" href="#" target="_blank">Combustible Gearhulk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> either draws cards or puts new targets into the graveyard, depending on the opponent's choice. On the other hand, the lowly <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> destroys something upon entry, providing redundancy with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spine of Ish Sah" href="#" target="_blank">Spine of Ish Sah</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>We were able to keep in all of the best cards from the precon without compromising anything. We still have our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wurmcoil Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Wurmcoil Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruby Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Ruby Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and so on. We also get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which doubles up every activated ability from our artifacts (except mana abilities).</p>
<h3>A Commanding Quintet</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bosh, Iron Golem"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feldon of the Third Path"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daretti, Scrap Savant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slobad, Iron Goblin"></div></div>
<p>One of the best things about this precon is that, even with the stock list, any of the commanders actually works with the deck's game plan while providing a new experience. The remastered version is no different, except we got five options for a commander this time!</p>
<p>If we want a relaxed, easy-going game, I'll point you towards <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bosh, Iron Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Bosh, Iron Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Eight mana is a lot, but a good chunk of our artifacts are expensive, and we can easily recycle them for more flinging, especially if it's doubled.</p>
<p>Should we decide to up the ante, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slobad, Iron Goblin" href="#" target="_blank">Slobad, Iron Goblin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work well here. Like I said above, Kurkesh doubles our artifacts' activated abilities, while Slobad ramps us (potentially) for a ton.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be our second-highest-powered choice. Sure, he'll need a bit more support, especially protection, but our creature lineup ensures he'll do wonders.</p>
<p>Lastly, for our deck to be at its most cutthroat, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Daretti, Scrap Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Daretti, Scrap Savant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While he is supposed to be the commander of choice this week by virtue of his precon, we could, you know, build a new deck from scratch. That way, all five of these options can be covered.</p>
<p>Alternatively, if you want to embrace the chaos, roll a d6 and pick the commander (Reroll on a six, mind)!</p>
<h3>Out of the Junkyard, and Towards the Setting Sun</h3>
<p>With that, that's another precon done. Next time, we'll cover the last of the mono-color decks (and eat our greens), but before that, we're due for a revisit to my other series, <em>Commander Makeover</em>, and we're going to cover a commander who's such a nasty piece of work she ended up as a Game Changer for a while. Tune in next time to see who that might be.</p>


Built from Scratch | Precon Remastered

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath" href="#" target="_blank">Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.daarken.com/">Daarken</a></em></p>
<h2>Welcome to the Cult</h2>
<p>Salutations to you, dear readers! And, if you're new, welcome to <em>Precon Remastered</em>, where old preconstructed Commander decks are given new life by sacrificing some cards.</p>
<p>Today, we delve into the darkness to call upon sinister forces. Forces that, in ancient times, were cast aside until <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/ons"><em>Onslaught</em></a>, where they made their triumphant return. Much has happened since then...</p>
<p>Oh, we're not talking about <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/demons">Demons</a> right now? Oops. Let's just get straight to the commander then.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath"></div></div>
<p>This week, our commander of choice is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath" href="#" target="_blank">Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. On the surface, it doesn't do all that much. The lone plus ability gives us some life while slightly draining our opponents. Meanwhile, the minus ability puts a Demon token onto the battlefield at the cost of two life. Lastly, the ultimate bestows upon us an emblem that acts as a sacrifice outlet akin to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disciple of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Disciple of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>However, a deeper reading tells us something more than meets the eye (and no, it's not <em>Transformers</em>). But first, we need to lay the groundwork.</p>
<h3>Gathering the Materials</h3>
<p>As always, here are our rules for remastering precons:</p>
<ol>
<li>The value of the deck cannot exceed $120. This will apply to the reprints only, which gets to my first personal quirk.</li>
<li>Every card unique to the original precon stays in the deck. All those new cards that get released with precons remain in the list.</li>
<li>The land package should closely reflect what we get in precons these days (and, in my humble opinion, they're actually pretty good).</li>
<li>At least until 2020, we're not tied to a particular set, so we're free to choose whatever we want. You can be assured I have ideas for 2020 and beyond, though.</li>
<li>Universes Beyond cards are not added. No exceptions, unless they have an in-universe variant.</li>
</ol>
<p>With that out of the way, let's take a good look at what the precon looked like originally.</p>
<h3>The Original List</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Sworn to Darkness Commander 2014" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
[/Commander]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bad Moon
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Abyssal Persecutor
*1 Bloodgift Demon
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Butcher of Malakir
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Demon of Wailing Agonies
*1 Disciple of Bolas
*1 Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
*1 Evernight Shade
*1 Flesh Carver
*1 Ghoulcaller Gisa
*1 Grave Titan
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Liliana&#039;s Reaver
*1 Magus of the Coffers
*1 Morkrut Banshee
*1 Nantuko Shade
*1 Nekrataal
*1 Overseer of the Damned
*1 Pestilence Demon
*1 Phyrexian Gargantua
*1 Pontiff of Blight
*1 Raving Dead
*1 Reaper from the Abyss
*1 Shriekmaw
*1 Skirsdag High Priest
*1 Vampire Hexmage
*1 Xathrid Demon
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Annihilate
*1 Malicious Affliction
*1 Skeletal Scrying
*1 Spoils of Blood
*1 Sudden Spoiling
*1 Tendrils of Corruption
*1 Tragic Slip
*1 Wake the Dead
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Aether Snap
*1 Black Sun&#039;s Zenith
*1 Dread Return
*1 Dregs of Sorrow
*1 Infernal Offering
*1 Mutilate
*1 Necromantic Selection
*1 Profane Command
*1 Promise of Power
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Syphon Mind
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Charcoal Diamond
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Jet Medallion
*1 Lashwrithe
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Crypt of Agadeem
*1 Everglades
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Polluted Mire
*32 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>A Weak Performance</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghoulcaller Gisa"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dregs of Sorrow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evernight Shade"></div></div>
<p>While the section name is only slightly misleading, there's something to be said about what we got. Like when I covered <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/peer-through-time"><em>Peer Through Time</em></a> the other week, we have ourselves a hodgepodge of cards that fall pretty flat. There are a few X-spells in the list, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dregs of Sorrow" href="#" target="_blank">Dregs of Sorrow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> telling us that this deck will be mana-hungry. On top of that, our best impressions of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are either a creature that needs to wait a turn, or a land that depends on the number of creatures in our graveyard.</p>
<p>That said, I do detect a bit of a theme in the 99, which I'll get to in a bit. However, said theme doesn't work too well with our alternate commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghoulcaller Gisa" href="#" target="_blank">Ghoulcaller Gisa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's better placed at the helm of a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/zombies">Zombie</a> deck. On the other hand, Gisa does work with the very evident sacrifice theme present in the deck list.</p>
<p>The best cards to sacrifice are also, paradoxically, the worst cards in the list. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Morkrut Banshee" href="#" target="_blank">Morkrut Banshee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evernight Shade" href="#" target="_blank">Evernight Shade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are easy fodder, considering they don't do much to affect the board. The Shade has the added benefit of being sacrificed a second time thanks to undying.</p>
<h3>New Ingredients for the Ritual</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Necromantic Selection"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malicious Affliction"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raving Dead"></div></div>
<p>With the new cards, we do get a few goodies. With creatures dying left and right, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malicious Affliction" href="#" target="_blank">Malicious Affliction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be likely to kill off two creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necromantic Selection" href="#" target="_blank">Necromantic Selection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will wipe the board, and bring us back a creature, too! In addition, we've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unstable Obelisk" href="#" target="_blank">Unstable Obelisk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which snipes a troublesome permanent, especially enchantments. Note that this card has been outclassed here, as we'll see soon, but at least it hits artifacts, right?</p>
<p>On top of those new cards, we get some cards that help <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats">Aristocrats</a> decks. One of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wake the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Wake the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can bring back multiple creatures. Note that we can't use it on our turn, so they're blocking fodder.</p>
<p>Mostly.</p>
<p>What we could also do is cast it, bring back a bunch of creatures, then sacrifice them to fuel stuff like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, among other things. It also lets us reuse enters the battlefield (ETB) effects, so yay! More value.</p>
<p>Anyway, we also get another sacrifice outlet in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flesh Carver" href="#" target="_blank">Flesh Carver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but paying two to do it each time means we can only do it so many times during each round. However, Aristocrats is not what I'm intending to do here, so what's that mysterious theme I hinted at earlier?</p>
<h3><em>Sworn to Darkness </em>Remastered</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Sworn to Darkness Remastered" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Abyssal Harvester
*1 Archfiend of Depravity
*1 Bloodgift Demon
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Defiling Daemogoth
*1 Demon of Loathing
*1 Demon of Wailing Agonies
*1 Demonlord Belzenlok
*1 Desecration Demon
*1 Disciple of Bolas
*1 Dream Devourer
*1 Flesh Carver
*1 Ghoulcaller Gisa
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Harvester of Souls
*1 Indulgent Tormentor
*1 Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
*1 Overseer of the Damned
*1 Pestilence Demon
*1 Raving Dead
*1 Reaper from the Abyss
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Vampire Hexmage
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Consuming Corruption
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Defile
*1 Malicious Affliction
*1 Ob Nixilis&#039;s Cruelty
*1 Spoils of Blood
*1 Tendrils of Corruption
*1 Tragic Slip
*1 Wake the Dead
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Corrupt
*1 Dread Return
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 In Garruk&#039;s Wake
*1 Infernal Offering
*1 Living Death
*1 Mutilate
*1 Necromantic Selection
*1 Promise of Power
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Reign of the Pit
*1 Settle the Score
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Stitch Together
*1 Syphon Mind
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Charcoal Diamond
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Jet Medallion
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Demonic Covenant
*1 Dogged Pursuit
*1 Underworld Connections
*1 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Everglades
*1 Myriad Landscape
*32 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Blessings of Power</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demon of Loathing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demonic Covenant"></div></div>
<p>If you guessed Demons, you're exactly right! I leaned into a Demon deck with this remaster. It certainly fits our commander, considering it depicts him before he became one. That said, there are only a few cards that reward us for selling our souls to them.</p>
<p>Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Covenant" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Covenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will have us draw a card and lose a life if a Demon is attacking an opponent. If my guess is right, we could draw as many as an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ambition&#039;s Cost" href="#" target="_blank">Ambition&#039;s Cost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows. Next, we have Standard all-star <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber" href="#" target="_blank">Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will draw more cards, plus drain our opponents for two. The other half can be unlocked in a pinch.</p>
<p>More often than not, Demons tend to work alone, and it shows. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Depravity" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Depravity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will set back those pesky go-wide decks considerably. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonlord Belzenlok" href="#" target="_blank">Demonlord Belzenlok</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will potentially draw us a few cards, as will <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kothophed, Soul Hoarder" href="#" target="_blank">Kothophed, Soul Hoarder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>That said, Demons tend to be expensive and mana hungry. We are packing more wipes than usual to help cover us early on, but we also have cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which makes casting them cheaper if we foretell them instead.</p>
<h3>Ceremonial End</h3>
<p>That about does it for our delightfully evil overlords, and for this series for a bit. Come back next week when we return to <em>Commander Makeover</em> with a new entry.</p>


Sworn to Darkness | Precon Remastered

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi, Temporal Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi, Temporal Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.tylerjacobsonart.com/">Tyler Jacobson</a></em></p>
<h2>Through the Looking Glass</h2>
<p>Greetings, and welcome to <em>Precon Remastered</em>! Here, we're taking precons from the past, and upgrading them with cards from today. Funny thing about that, because our precon this week features a commander who messes with time!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teferi, Temporal Archmage"></div></div>
<p>Before anyone questions why Teferi hasn't aged and is a planeswalker, this is him before he got desparked the first time during <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tsp"><em>Time Spiral</em></a> block. Anyway, that first ability's quite nifty, but he's at his strongest with the second one. Untapping four permanents (including lands!) has the potential for some really broken things. Infinite combos exist with stuff like this.</p>
<h3>A Glimpse Through Time</h3>
<p>As always (for new readers, welcome!), here are our rules for remastering precons:</p>
<ol>
<li>The value of the deck cannot exceed $120. This will apply to the reprints only, which gets to my first personal quirk.</li>
<li>Every card unique to the original precon stays in the deck. All those new cards that get released with precons remain in the list.</li>
<li>The land package should closely reflect what we get in precons these days (and, in my humble opinion, they're actually pretty good).</li>
<li>At least until 2020, we're not tied to a particular set, so we're free to choose whatever we want. You can be assured I have ideas for 2020 and beyond, though.</li>
<li>Universes Beyond cards are not added. No exceptions, unless they have an in-universe variant.</li>
</ol>
<p>With that out of the way, let's take a good look at what the precon looked like originally.</p>
<h3>The Original List</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Peer Through Time - Commander 2014" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Teferi, Temporal Archmage
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Artisan of Kozilek
*1 Azure Mage
*1 Breaching Leviathan
*1 Brine Elemental
*1 Deep-Sea Kraken
*1 Dulcet Sirens
*1 Fathom Seer
*1 Fog Bank
*1 Frost Titan
*1 Hoverguard Sweepers
*1 Ixidron
*1 Lorthos, the Tidemaker
*1 Mulldrifter
*1 Phyrexian Ingester
*1 Reef Worm
*1 Riptide Survivor
*1 Sea Gate Oracle
*1 Shaper Parasite
*1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
*1 Sphinx of Magosi
*1 Sphinx of Uthuun
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Stitcher Geralf
*1 Stormsurge Kraken
*1 Willbender
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Cackling Counterpart
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Dismiss
*1 Domineering Will
*1 Exclude
*1 Intellectual Offering
*1 Into the Roil
*1 Pongify
*1 Stroke of Genius
*1 Turn to Frog
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Aether Gale
*1 Call to Mind
*1 Compulsive Research
*1 Concentrate
*1 Distorting Wake
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Rush of Knowledge
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Assault Suit
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Crown of Doom
*1 Dreamstone Hedron
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 Sky Diamond
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Thran Dynamo
*1 Tormod&#039;s Crypt
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Ur-Golem&#039;s Eye
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Fool&#039;s Demise
*1 Infinite Reflection
*1 Well of Ideas
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Coral Atoll
*1 Ghost Quarter
*31 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Remote Isle
*1 Tectonic Edge
*1 Zoetic Cavern
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>A Point in Time</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dulcet Sirens"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonic Rift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sphinx of Magosi"></div></div>
<p>I'll be upfront with you: the deck's a mess. It reads like a ramp deck with a bunch of unnecessary subthemes. However, there is a control element here that will help keep <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi, Temporal Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi, Temporal Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> around. Though, we do have a few cards with morph for some reason. Maybe because one of the new cards is a morph creature in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dulcet Sirens" href="#" target="_blank">Dulcet Sirens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p>Interestingly, we also have a <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers">Game Changer</a> in the list. This would also mark the first time that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was reprinted (though, it would go on to be reprinted a few more times as of writing).</p>
<p>Other than that, we have a bunch of big beaters to act as our win condition (wincon), like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sphinx of Magosi" href="#" target="_blank">Sphinx of Magosi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Three mana to activate the ability is a lot, but Teferi can untap the mana we need to pay it. Perhaps multiple times, if we have the right mana rocks!</p>
<h3>Perspectives in Time</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Domineering Will"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Well of Ideas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stormsurge Kraken"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of control, the new cards mostly align with this plan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Domineering Will" href="#" target="_blank">Domineering Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun example, messing with combat math or getting rid of meddlesome creatures. In addition, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Well of Ideas" href="#" target="_blank">Well of Ideas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stormsurge Kraken" href="#" target="_blank">Stormsurge Kraken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are favorites of mine, both drawing cards to keep our hand full.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, heavy is the head that holds the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crown of Doom" href="#" target="_blank">Crown of Doom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which needs to be donated as fast as possible. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unstable Obelisk" href="#" target="_blank">Unstable Obelisk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will help deal with blue's biggest weaknesses. In a similar vein as Crown of Doom, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reef Worm" href="#" target="_blank">Reef Worm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> teaches us that there's always a bigger fish. Now, I wonder if there's a way to make multiple copies? Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infinite Reflection" href="#" target="_blank">Infinite Reflection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Replication" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Replication</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help with this.</p>
<p>But, as much as our new cards love to teach us life lessons this week, our alternate commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stitcher Geralf" href="#" target="_blank">Stitcher Geralf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, teaches us that he is not the perfect fit for this precon, as he needs to be heavily built around (and reprint option, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lorthos, the Tidemaker" href="#" target="_blank">Lorthos, the Tidemaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is better off in the 99).</p>
<h3>Are We Altering Time?</h3>
<p>A few weeks back, we gave <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/nature-of-the-beast"><em>Nature of the Beast</em></a> a massive facelift. On top of that, I mentioned that this deck was a pile. Does this qualify as a total redo?</p>
<p>Not exactly.</p>
<p>When I altered the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marath, Will of the Wild" href="#" target="_blank">Marath, Will of the Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> precon, I scrapped the themes, and it became a +1/+1 counters theme. Here? I don't see any reason to go that far. Yes, we will have an entirely new theme in here, but it likely won't deviate from what the precon's already trying to do too much. So, what exactly did I decide to do?</p>
<h3><em>Peer Through Time </em>Remastered</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Peer Through Time Remastered" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Teferi, Temporal Archmage
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Breaching Leviathan
*1 Deepglow Skate
*1 Dulcet Sirens
*1 Fog Bank
*1 Ixidron
*1 Mulldrifter
*1 Reef Worm
*1 Sparkshaper Visionary
*1 Stitcher Geralf
*1 Stormsurge Kraken
*1 Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus
*1 Thrummingbird
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Dismiss
*1 Domineering Will
*1 Evacuation
*1 Experimental Augury
*1 Illusionist&#039;s Gambit
*1 Intellectual Offering
*1 Into the Roil
*1 Mirror Match
*1 Pongify
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Turn to Frog
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Assault Suit
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Crown of Doom
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Ichormoon Gauntlet
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk
*1 Sapphire Medallion
*1 Sky Diamond
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Chain Veil
*1 Tormod&#039;s Crypt
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Call to Mind
*1 Compulsive Research
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Rush of Knowledge
*1 Tezzeret&#039;s Gambit
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Ever-Watching Threshold
*1 Imprisoned in the Moon
*1 Oath of Jace
*1 Teferi&#039;s Talent
*1 Well of Ideas
[/Enchantments]
[planeswalkers]
*1 Jace Beleren
*1 Jace, Architect of Thought
*1 Jace, Mirror Mage
*1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
*1 Karn Liberated
*1 Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor
*1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
*1 Tezzeret, Artifice Master
*1 Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh
*1 Ugin, the Ineffable
*1 Vronos, Masked Inquisitor
*1 Will Kenrith
[/planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Coral Atoll
*1 Ghost Quarter
*32 Island
*1 Lonely Sandbar
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Tectonic Edge
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Friends Across Time</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vronos, Masked Inquisitor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Chain Veil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teferi&#039;s Talent"></div></div>
<p>...Ok, I know. Just hear me out a minute. People don't like <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/planeswalkers">Superfriends</a>, and will go out of their way to murder us. That said, we did get such a precon a few years ago under <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Commodore Guff" href="#" target="_blank">Commodore Guff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We only have 12 planeswalkers in the deck, so I wouldn't go as far as to call this a <em>true</em> Superfriends deck.</p>
<p>In truth, it's a subtheme if anything. Yes, we do have that random morph creature in the 99, but that's easily the first card to cut when upgrading this list. However, we retain a lot of the control elements found in the original list, and those will come in handy in protecting our planeswalkers.</p>
<h3>Beyond Time</h3>
<p>All things considered, there aren't many planeswalkers in each given color. In fact, most Superfriends lists utilize at least two colors. So, upgrading the remastered list has a lot to do with personal taste. Don't like having many planeswalkers? Sure, scrap them for something you like. Regardless what we do, the control theme is likely to stick around.</p>
<h3>Back to the Present Time</h3>
<p>As I made the remastered list, I wondered if 12 planeswalkers was enough to constitute a Superfriends deck. What's the optimal number of them to make the theme viable? Sound off in the comments on what that number is (and if there aren't enough planeswalkers in the Remastered list). Anyway, tune in next time when we return to our other series, <em>Commander Makeover</em>.</p>


Precon Remastered-Peer Through Time

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, the Lithomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, the Lithomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.ericdeschamps.com/">Eric Deschamps</a></em></p>
<h2>Heating up the Forge</h2>
<p>Salutations, readers! This week on <em>Precon Remastered</em>, where we remake older precons, we arrive at a new set of precons. Starting this week, we're taking on the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/c14"><em>Commander 2014</em></a> precons, all of which are mono-colored. See, there's a beauty to having mono-color decks, and I more or less described it in an article a few weeks back.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nahiri, the Lithomancer"></div></div>
<p>Another feature of these precons is that this is the first time we see planeswalkers as commanders. As such, we're going to be remastering the precons with them in mind. First on our list is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, the Lithomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, the Lithomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who is very much an <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/equipment">Equipment</a>-centric commander (hint: her +1 ability goes great with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), but is her list more coherent, or are we looking at an identity crisis like we saw in <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/c13"><em>Commander 2013</em></a>?</p>
<h3>Gathering the Tools</h3>
<p>As always, here are our rules for remastering precons:</p>
<ol>
<li>The value of the deck cannot exceed $120. This will apply to the reprints only, which gets to my first personal quirk.</li>
<li>Every card unique to the original precon stays in the deck. All those new cards that get released with precons remain in the list.</li>
<li>The land package should closely reflect what we get in precons these days (and, in my humble opinion, they're actually pretty good).</li>
<li>At least until 2020, we're not tied to a particular set, so we're free to choose whatever we want. You can be assured I have ideas for 2020 and beyond, though.</li>
<li>Universes Beyond cards are not added. No exceptions, unless they have an in-universe variant.</li>
</ol>
<p>With that out of the way, let's take a good look at what the precon looked like originally.</p>
<h3>The Original List</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Forged in Stone - Commander 2014" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Nahiri, the Lithomancer
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Adarkar Valkyrie
*1 Angel of the Dire Hour
*1 Angelic Field Marshal
*1 Celestial Crusader
*1 Containment Priest
*1 Flickerwisp
*1 Geist-Honored Monk
*1 Grand Abolisher
*1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
*1 Jazal Goldmane
*1 Kemba, Kha Regent
*1 Kor Sanctifiers
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Requiem Angel
*1 Serra Avatar
*1 Silverblade Paladin
*1 Skyhunter Skirmisher
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Sunblast Angel
*1 Twilight Shepherd
*1 Whitemane Lion
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Afterlife
*1 Benevolent Offering
*1 Brave the Elements
*1 Comeuppance
*1 Condemn
*1 Midnight Haunting
*1 Oblation
*1 Return to Dust
*1 White Sun&#039;s Zenith
*1 Wing Shards
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Decree of Justice
*1 Deploy to the Front
*1 Fell the Mighty
*1 Gift of Estates
*1 Martial Coup
*1 Nomads&#039; Assembly
*1 Spectral Procession
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Argentum Armor
*1 Assault Suit
*1 Bonehoard
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Loreseeker&#039;s Stone
*1 Loxodon Warhammer
*1 Marble Diamond
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
*1 Moonsilver Spear
*1 Pearl Medallion
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Strata Scythe
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Vengeance
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Armistice
*1 Cathars&#039; Crusade
*1 Marshal&#039;s Anthem
*1 Mobilization
*1 Sacred Mesa
*1 True Conviction
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Drifting Meadow
*1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Karoo
*32 Plains
*1 Secluded Steppe
*1 Temple of the False God
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>An Eye for Details</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Decree of Justice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Comeuppance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loxodon Warhammer"></div></div>
<p>Firstly, we can say that, while the list does suffer from a split in themes, at least they're working together...somewhat. The creature lineup isn't exactly brimming with creatures that we must equip. But hey, at least we got reprints of the Medallion cycle, so that's good, right? Yes, but there aren't many ways to buff those tokens either. It seems clear that the intent is to equip the tokens with our Equipment, then proceed to pummel our opponents. That's all well and good, but <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/equipment">Equipment decks</a> have seriously evolved these days, and most of them don't use many tokens, if at all.</p>
<p>The new cards, though, are solid. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Masterwork of Ingenuity" href="#" target="_blank">Masterwork of Ingenuity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an Equipment clone, turning it into whatever we want it to be. There's always the awesome but niche <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Comeuppance" href="#" target="_blank">Comeuppance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is bound to create stories at the table. In addition, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fell the Mighty" href="#" target="_blank">Fell the Mighty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the best board wipes for a Tokens deck out there. However, most of the rest deal with making tokens in varying degrees. Also, the deck's alternate commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jazal Goldmane" href="#" target="_blank">Jazal Goldmane</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is one of the only ways to pump our board of tokens into something lethal, but five mana is quite an investment to make to do so.</p>
<p>Lastly, the card quality, as always, can be so much better. That said, the best part is that we don't have to worry about mana bases for this set of precons since we're never going to get color screwed. Again, one of the great things about mono-color decks as well as being easy on our wallets.</p>
<h3>The Finished Product</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Forged in Stone Remastered" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Nahiri, the Lithomancer
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Angel of the Dire Hour
*1 Angelic Field Marshal
*1 Armored Skyhunter
*1 Balan, Wandering Knight
*1 Brass Squire
*1 Containment Priest
*1 Danitha Capashen, Paragon
*1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
*1 Heavenly Blademaster
*1 Indomitable Archangel
*1 Jazal Goldmane
*1 Keeper of the Accord
*1 Kemba, Kha Enduring
*1 Kor Cartographer
*1 Kor Outfitter
*1 Mentor of the Meek
*1 Puresteel Paladin
*1 Silverblade Paladin
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sram, Senior Edificer
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Welcoming Vampire
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Benevolent Offering
*1 Comeuppance
*1 Dispatch
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Reprieve
*1 Return to Dust
*1 Stroke of Midnight
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Cut a Deal
*1 Deploy to the Front
*1 Fell the Mighty
*1 Gift of Estates
*1 Secret Rendezvous
*1 Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation
*1 Unfinished Business
*1 Vanquish the Horde
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Archaeomancer&#039;s Map
*1 Argentum Armor
*1 Assault Suit
*1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
*1 Bonehoard
*1 Colossus Hammer
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Explorer&#039;s Scope
*1 Loreseeker&#039;s Stone
*1 Loxodon Warhammer
*1 Marble Diamond
*1 Mask of Memory
*1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Pearl Medallion
*1 Plate Armor
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Strata Scythe
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Vengeance
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Tocasia&#039;s Welcome
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Karoo
*1 Myriad Landscape
*32 Plains
*1 Secluded Steppe
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Top-Notch Quality</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodforged Battle-Axe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sram, Senior Edificer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossus Hammer"></div></div>
<p>The improved list still retains the <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/tokens">Tokens</a> subtheme, but it's been greatly reduced, mostly relegated to the new cards. On top of that, we now have better equip targets alongside a much better Equipment lineup. Working with the tokens is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodforged Battle-Axe" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodforged Battle-Axe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is bound to get a ton of copies to spread around. No need to <em>axe</em> any questions about it.</p>
<p>...Are you still with me? Moving on.</p>
<p>While he didn't exist when this precon was released, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sram, Senior Edificer" href="#" target="_blank">Sram, Senior Edificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides much-needed draw card, especially in a color that's notorious for lacking it (at least that was true back in the day). The same can be said about ramp, and cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer&#039;s Map" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer&#039;s Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have come out since then, providing white with needed essentials.</p>
<p>In addition, we also get what could be one of the best Equipment (besides <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) for her +1 ability: <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>. Since the ability automatically attaches an Equipment to the token <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, the Lithomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, the Lithomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creates, it'll bypass the whopping eight mana needed to equip the Hammer.</p>
<h3>More Thoughts</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heavenly Blademaster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Welcoming Vampire"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unfinished Business"></div></div>
<p>Furthermore, there are some more new additions I'd like to highlight. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Welcoming Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Welcoming Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tocasia&#039;s Welcome" href="#" target="_blank">Tocasia&#039;s Welcome</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both work with (you guessed it) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nahiri, the Lithomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Nahiri, the Lithomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s +1 ability, letting us draw a card off the token entering. With the aforementioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we'd be drawing the equivalent of an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Recall" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Recall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Heavenly Blademaster is a nasty piece of work here. With the right Equipment attached, she's sure to menace our opponents while slashing their life totals in chunks. We can also achieve this with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balan, Wandering Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Balan, Wandering Knight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The only difference is that Balan doesn't fly, so we'll have to find some other form of evasion.</p>
<p>I made no changes to the mana base. Expect this to be a common trend with <em>Commander 2014</em>, as there really isn't much to upgrade. Unless someone happens to have a bunch of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>es growing on trees. Not a land, but the same can be said for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throne of Eldraine" href="#" target="_blank">Throne of Eldraine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which doesn't deserve the price tag it has. Here's to it being reprinted to the ground, I hope (Nykthos is a lot more unlikely).</p>
<p>Lastly, we have a few more pieces of recursion. That said, the best of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unfinished Business" href="#" target="_blank">Unfinished Business</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which not only revives a creature, but attaches a load of Equipment (or Auras, if we're into that) to said creature. So, picking the right creature to recur could potentially close the game from out of nowhere.</p>
<h3>Whited Out</h3>
<p>Looking at both lists side by side is a way of seeing how much white (and Commander as a whole) has changed over the last 10 years at least. Also, we're almost certainly going to see the same thing reflected in the other lists as well. With the new starter precons coming out later being mono-color, it'll be interesting to compare this list with the new mono-white deck (which is confirmed to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giada, Font of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Giada, Font of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<p>In the meantime, tune in next time, where we return to our other series, <em>Commander Makeover</em>.</p>


precon remastered

Commander 2015's Call the Spirits | Precon Remastered

Guided by Nature | Precon Remastered

Built from Scratch | Precon Remastered

Sworn to Darkness | Precon Remastered

Precon Remastered-Peer Through Time

Remaking 2014's Forged in Steel Precon Commander Deck