Top 10 Most Played Commander Cards from Strixhaven: School of Mages

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/davidgaillet">David Gaillet</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As we prepare to return to the plane of <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Arcavios">Arcavios</a> for a second set based around the magical school of <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Strixhaven">Strixhaven</a>, it makes sense to look at some of the abilities and themes that were featured last time in order to prepare ourselves to maximize any of those that are revisited. One of the abilities that crossed the curriculum was <em>Magecraft</em>, which made me think about my own deck designed around a similar ability.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The easiest comparison to draw for <em>Magecraft</em> is prowess. Both are abilities attached to creatures, both care about casting noncreature spells, and both encourage players to play a lot of spells in the same turn. As we saw with the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-otter-typal-with-alania-divergent-storm">Otter Typal</a> deck a few weeks back, <em>Magecraft</em> and prowess ride that balance between creature decks and spellslinger decks, with typal synergies further complicating the math.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We’ll see how this <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Tech finds its balance, while also highlighting the focus and power Monks are known for in <em>Magic</em> and <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em>.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monk History</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whenever <em>Magic</em> visits a set inspired by an Asian country, Monks seem to come with them. This makes sense, given the spread of Buddhism around the continent, as well as the focus on meditation present in several religions that originated there. Monks trace their lineage back to <em>Portal</em>, mostly in white, and then the <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Jukai">Jukai</a> region of <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Kamigawa">Kamigawa</a> gave them some green support. Neither of these gave them any sense of identity, however.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It wasn’t until <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Tarkir">Tarkir</a> that Monks really felt like a supported type, coinciding with the introduction of the <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Jeskai_Way">Jeskai</a> wedge and their signature ability, the aforementioned prowess. Returns to Kamigawa and Tarkir have helped shore up the numbers, and even <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> added to our numbers, as did <em>Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate</em>. As a result, we have a hodgepodge of Monks that have some slight overlaps in abilities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most recently, several Monks were printed with the ability <em>Flurry</em>, which triggers when the second spell is cast on a particular turn. Since we are playing many cheap instants and sorceries in order to trigger prowess, this happens to work well with what we are doing.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we make Monks unique from general spellslinger decks, and how do we win games with our synergies?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest"></div></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might not be the strongest Monk commander, but he is the most aggressive. Shu Yun is one of the <em>Fate Reforged</em> commanders that gives access to a wedge color identity because of his activated ability, but he only requires blue mana to cast and either red or white to activate. This means that we can have our commander out and usable without having to fix our mana, which is important for a nongreen aggressive three-plus color deck, as we can easily cast him turn three and use him turn four without help or even needing a fourth land.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While his prowess is a powerful passive ability, the triggered ability to give out double strike to any creature, not even just our own, is part of what makes Shu Yun such a fun and versatile commander. We can use our opponents’ aggression against each other, if we so choose, in what feels like a very Akido-like situation.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we win with our cheap little prowess creatures? And how do we keep from getting smacked on the crackback?</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monks are a surprisingly versatile creature type, largely because their design has changed so much. The tricky part is limiting our scope. Since we are looking to be aggressive and cast multiple spells in a turn, we’re going to limit ourselves to Monks that cost three or less mana. Even with that limitation, there are still quite a lot of different Monks we have access to.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monk Realist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Venerable Monk"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monk Realist" href="#" target="_blank">Monk Realist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venerable Monk" href="#" target="_blank">Venerable Monk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> were among the first Monks to see print, both of which are small white creatures with enters-the-battlefield (ETB) abilities. The Realist is a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Naturalize" href="#" target="_blank">Naturalize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a stick, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venerable Monk" href="#" target="_blank">Venerable Monk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gains life. Both of these happen to work well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects, which fits me, Unsummoned Skull, to a T!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abbot of Keral Keep"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zephyr Scribe"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abbot of Keral Keep" href="#" target="_blank">Abbot of Keral Keep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zephyr Scribe" href="#" target="_blank">Zephyr Scribe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> represent the prowess and prowess-adjacent Monks. The Abbot has an ETB that lets us play the top card of our library, which makes it a solid topdeck or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> target. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zephyr Scribe" href="#" target="_blank">Zephyr Scribe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a looting effect that lets us re-use the looting ability when we cast a noncreature spell.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mantis Rider"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fleet-Footed Monk"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mantis Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Mantis Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fleet-Footed Monk" href="#" target="_blank">Fleet-Footed Monk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are evasive Monks that make solid use of our commander’s ability to grant double strike. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mantis Rider" href="#" target="_blank">Mantis Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was a staple in Modern Humans decks because of its ability to come out swinging with evasive damage while still presenting a blocker. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fleet-Footed Monk" href="#" target="_blank">Fleet-Footed Monk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can’t be blocked by high-power creatures, kind of like a primitive version of skulk, and can become dangerous to block with double strike or any pump effect.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we trigger our commander’s ability consistently?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The short answer is, we use as many cheap noncreature spells as we do Monks, so any spell off the top has a 50/50 chance of being either a Monk, which can draw cards, or a cheap noncreature spell, which, in turn, has a 50/50 chance of drawing a card (cantripping).</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Opt"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faithless Looting"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our most common type of noncreature spell is cheap card draw. We want spells that cantrip, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or cards that let us dig deep into our deck, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faithless Looting" href="#" target="_blank">Faithless Looting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We want to be able to leave mana up to activate our commander’s ability, so typical typal draw effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kindred Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Kindred Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are less useful here.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monk Class"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snap"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monk Class" href="#" target="_blank">Monk Class</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a Monk deck seems obvious from a flavor perspective, but the card is surprisingly useful. Its first ability is like <em>Flurry</em>, reducing the cost of our second spell each turn. When we level it up, we can bounce a nonland permanent. And, with its last ability, we can simulate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Abbot of Keral Keep" href="#" target="_blank">Abbot of Keral Keep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ETB each upkeep.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snap" href="#" target="_blank">Snap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another bounce spell, but a bit more of a straightforward one. Still, it was printed in the broken-in-half <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Urza%27s_block">Urza’s Block</a>, specifically <em>Urza’s Legacy</em>, and has seen play in a variety of formats, including…Legacy. What makes it so powerful? It has the ability to untap two lands when it resolves. While we’re not using it for broken effects, we can use it to fix our mana if we have too much blue, in addition to having a free prowess-enabler.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Command Tower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exotic Orchard"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of fixing our mana, like the Grixis (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) Robots deck <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-robot-typal-with-dr-eggman">last week</a>, our manabase is primarily built around making sure our lands enter untapped and we can cast our spells on time. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Command Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exotic Orchard" href="#" target="_blank">Exotic Orchard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two of the best cards in the business at doing this, although <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exotic Orchard" href="#" target="_blank">Exotic Orchard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit risky because it makes us reliant on our opponents to fix our mana.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Commander Deck Win?</span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Will"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spare from Evil"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our win conditions are ways to break parity on board; we can absolutely win without them, but they make winning much easier. In particular, we want noncreature spells that enable us to continue to get in for damage when opponents have blockers. <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> should have most modes active on any given turn, as our commander can come out on turn three regardless of whether our mana is fixed. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spare from Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Spare from Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us and our creatures protection from noncreatures, which can be used defensively, 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>, or aggressively, as a means of making it really hard to block. As a two-mana means of invalidating blockers, which triggers prowess, we can use it to enable massive swings. With double strike, we can easily end a player or two!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In short, we’re looking to win by attacking with small Monks while players are setting up, then growing them while invalidating blockers when the game goes long. The early tenderizing damage enables big swings late, making Monks a solid aggressive typal deck despite being three colors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Abbot of Keral Keep
*1 Bloodfire Expert
*1 Cori Mountain Stalwart
*1 Devoted Duelist
*1 Devout Monk
*1 Dragon Bell Monk
*1 Elusive Spellfist
*1 Enlightened Ascetic
*1 Equilibrium Adept
*1 Firebending Student
*1 Flamehold Grappler
*1 Fleet-Footed Monk
*1 Jeskai Devotee
*1 Jeskai Sage
*1 Jeskai Student
*1 Lone Missionary
*1 Mantis Rider
*1 Mistfire Adept
*1 Monastery Mentor
*1 Monastery Swiftspear
*1 Monk Realist
*1 Monk of the Open Hand
*1 Poised Practitioner
*1 Soulfire Grand Master
*1 Sunset Strikemaster
*1 Third Path Iconoclast
*1 Venerable Monk
*1 Wingblade Disciple
*1 Zephyr Scribe
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Akroma&#039;s Blessing
*1 Akroma&#039;s Will
*1 Azorius Charm
*1 Bounce Off
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Curate
*1 Faithful Mending
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Fumble
*1 Impulse
*1 Just the Wind
*1 Mental Note
*1 Opt
*1 Snap
*1 Spare from Evil
*1 String of Disappearances
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Unsubstantiate
*1 Whispers of the Muse
*1 You Come to a River
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Bond of Discipline
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Serum Visions
*1 Tormenting Voice
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Levitation
*1 Monk Class
*1 Seal of Removal
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Aether Spellbomb
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Battlefield Forge
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flood Plain
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Inspiring Vantage
*1 Island
*1 Mountain
*1 Plains
*1 Spectator Seating
*1 Sulfur Falls
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monks are a fun and flexible aggressive creature type, but they are a bit removed from the multi-strike class from <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em>. Extra combat steps could capture this, while Shu Yun’s abilities could lend to an interesting Voltron build if we wanted to lean into Equipment or Auras.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you build Monks? And who would you have command the other variants?</span></p>


Building Monk Typal With Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

The Top 10 Most Played Prowess Cards in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Human Torch" href="#" target="_blank">Human Torch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/vilhelmasbanys">Vilhelmas Banys</a></em></p>
<p>A handful of cards from the upcoming <em>Marvel Superheroes</em> set were revealed as an early Christmas present, and I was really impressed with a couple of them. The highlight of the reveals for me were the four members of the <em>Fantastic Four</em> that were revealed to have their own Commander precon. I've always had a special affection for <em>Marvel</em>'s founding family, and I was not disappointed with their treatment of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Human Torch" href="#" target="_blank">Human Torch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In this deck tech, I'm going to try my hand at building a deck worthy of Johnny Storm.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Human Torch"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Human Torch Do?</h2>
<p>Human Torch is a four-mana 3/2 with two very powerful abilities. First, at the beginning of combat, if Human Torch's owner cast a noncreature spell this turn, Human Torch gains flying, double strike, and haste until end of turn. If this card was printed in <em>Adventures in the Forgotten Realms</em>, I imagine this ability would have "Flame On!" printed in italics before the ability's text.</p>
<p>Then, when Human Torch attacks, his controller may pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. If they do, when he deals combat damage to an opponent, he does that much damage to each other opponent. Importantly, just like with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amarant Coral" href="#" target="_blank">Amarant Coral</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the damage dealt to each other opponent isn't commander damage. This ability feels like it's asking me to build a deck that can kill all three opponents in the same turn, and that's what I'm going to do!</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Human Torch</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Berserk"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bulk Up"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Become Immense"></div></div>
<p>A rare category of card that isn't often used in Commander is pump spells, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Human Torch" href="#" target="_blank">Human Torch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is excellent at making use of pump spells because of how much damage he can convert them into. For example, if I cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Become Immense" href="#" target="_blank">Become Immense</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> targeting Human Torch, go to combat, attack and pay the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> for his second ability, each opponent will take 18 damage! One player will receive that damage in the form of commander damage, but the two that don't have still just had their life total cut in half! Combine a few pump spells together and suddenly all three opponents are dead.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dueling Grounds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smoke"></div></div>
<p>Unfortunately, getting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Human Torch" href="#" target="_blank">Human Torch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into play, generating enough mana to pay for the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> ability, and sculpting a hand of enough pump spells and extra combat spells is a time-consuming process. Even worse, any opponent that reads Human Torch will probably understand that they should kill you before you do all that.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dueling Grounds" href="#" target="_blank">Dueling Grounds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smoke" href="#" target="_blank">Smoke</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are stax pieces that can help hold back those opponents long enough to get to this deck's endgame. These stax pieces all have a little tension with other cards in the deck, but they can always be cleared out of the way with removal spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Partition" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Partition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, going into the big combo turn when necessary.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Narset, Enlightened Exile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeskai Ascendancy"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Narset, Enlightened Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Narset, Enlightened Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeskai Ascendancy" href="#" target="_blank">Jeskai Ascendancy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both give <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Human Torch" href="#" target="_blank">Human Torch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> prowess, which can be very helpful for finding the last few points of damage necessary to close out a game. They both have critical secondary purposes, however. Narset provides a way to recur high-impact pump spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berserk" href="#" target="_blank">Berserk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bulk Up" href="#" target="_blank">Bulk Up</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and Jeskai Ascendancy provides a lot of chances to sculpt the hand and graveyard over the course of the game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Omnath, Locus of Creation"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of Creation" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locus of Creation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the inclusion I'm the most skeptical of. It makes a lot of sense to me to be able to save a fetch land for the combo turn and use the mana generated from the second time Omnath's ability triggers to pay for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Human Torch" href="#" target="_blank">Human Torch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s beginning of combat trigger. However, casting Omnath and letting it sit in play doing nothing for a turn cycle seems a little off to me. This will be the card choice I scrutinize the most as I get to test with this deck more.</p>
<h2>How Does This Human Torch Deck Win?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Full Throttle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Finest Hour"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Combat Celebrant"></div></div>
<p>Additional combats is the cleanest way to win a game with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Human Torch" href="#" target="_blank">Human Torch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The idea is pretty simple: I don't want to pay four mana into Human Torch's beginning of combat ability very often. If I can squeeze two or three combat steps out of the turn I pay that cost, I'll probably only have to do it once. This frees up a lot of mana in the earlier turns that I can spend on board development.</p>
<p>For example, two pump spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Become Immense" href="#" target="_blank">Become Immense</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invigorate" href="#" target="_blank">Invigorate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, plus an extra combat from Combat Celebrant, deals 52 damage to each opponent. That really isn't asking all that much given how interchangeable the pump spells are.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeska, Thrice Reborn"></div></div>
<p><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> takes nearly any pump spell and turns it into lethal damage. Paired with one pump spell that can give <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Human Torch" href="#" target="_blank">Human Torch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> +4/+4, an attack with damage tripled from Jeska kills the table in one combat step. Of course, a pump spell, casting Jeska, and paying for Human Torch's combat trigger still adds up to at least seven mana, but for winning the game, I'd say that's a fair price.</p>
<h2>Human Torch Commander Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Human Torch" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Human Torch
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Creativity
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Jeska, Thrice Reborn
*1 Minsc &amp; Boo, Timeless Heroes
[/Planeswalkers]
[Creatures]
*1 Archmage Emeritus
*1 Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty
*1 Bloom Tender
*1 Combat Celebrant
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Drift of Phantasms
*1 Fear of Missing Out
*1 Imperial Recruiter
*1 Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
*1 Moon-Blessed Cleric
*1 Narset, Enlightened Exile
*1 Noble Hierarch
*1 Omnath, Locus of Creation
*1 Orcish Lumberjack
*1 Professional Face-Breaker
*1 Qasali Pridemage
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Recruiter of the Guard
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Become Immense
*1 Berserk
*1 Bulk Up
*1 Colossal Might
*1 Deflecting Swat
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Fierce Guardianship
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Groundswell
*1 Invigorate
*1 Legolas&#039;s Quick Reflexes
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Muddle the Mixture
*1 Mutagenic Growth
*1 Nature&#039;s Claim
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Redirect Lightning
*1 Shore Up
*1 Siege Smash
*1 Soul Partition
*1 Turn Inside Out
*1 Veil of Summer
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Expressive Iteration
*1 Full Throttle
*1 Green Sun&#039;s Zenith
*1 Jeska&#039;s Will
*1 Last Chance
*1 Sevinne&#039;s Reclamation
*1 Slash the Ranks
*1 Solve the Equation
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Dueling Grounds
*1 Finest Hour
*1 Jeskai Ascendancy
*1 Smoke
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Tomb
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Command Tower
*1 Commercial District
*1 Elegant Parlor
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*1 Forest
*1 Gemstone Caverns
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Hedge Maze
*1 Hushwood Verge
*1 Island
*1 Lush Portico
*1 Mana Confluence
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Mistrise Village
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Mountain
*1 Plains
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Riverpyre Verge
*1 Sacred Foundry
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Steam Vents
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Sunbillow Verge
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Thornspire Verge
*1 Thundering Falls
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Willowrush Verge
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>If the rest of the cards from <em>Marvel Superheroes</em> are as good as the ones revealed this month, this set could very well end up being my favorite of the year. I'm really looking forward to putting this deck together when the time comes and to seeing what cards that haven't been revealed yet that could push this deck over the top. I'm definitely expecting a combat trick called Flame On that I'm sure will replace one of the lesser pump spells in this list.</p>
<p>I'd feel very comfortable playing this deck in Bracket 3, much more so than similar commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Najeela, the Blade-Blossom" href="#" target="_blank">Najeela, the Blade-Blossom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The one-turn kill this deck is aiming for requires just enough noodling around that I doubt it would feel oppressive to a field of similarly powered decks. Plus, it should be telegraphed so far in advance that keen-eyed opponents will be saving interaction for the big turn, and I'll have a blast protecting Human Torch with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flusterstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Flusterstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Redirect Lightning" href="#" target="_blank">Redirect Lightning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a dramatic back-and-forth battle on the stack.</p>
<p>Now, it's on the lovely people in the comments to fill me in on the cool cards I missed! I look forward to reading them all.</p>


prowess

Top 10 Most Played Commander Cards from Strixhaven: School of Mages

Building Monk Typal With Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

The Top 10 Most Played Prowess Cards in Commander

Flame On! With the Human Torch in Commander

Top 10 Double Strike Enablers

Brew For Your Buck - Spellslinger Budget Mayhem!

Top 10 Izzet Combat Tricks