Trystan, Callous Cultivator Commander Deck Tech

The Best Graveyard Cards of 2025 for Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Falcon, Airship Restored" href="#" target="_blank">The Falcon, Airship Restored</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://kotakan.artstation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kotakan</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>! This week, we're exploring a recent new ruling that was dropped in light of <em>Edge of Eternity </em>spoilers. Yes, legendary Vehicles can be commanders now (though I'm too much of a boomer to let that sink in), and there's a few to boot.</p>
<p>However, the number of Vehicles that work at the helm is severely limited for now, but we can expect this number to grow over time. That said, which Vehicle did I decide to cover today? Let's find out.</p>
<h2>I'm On a Blimp</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Falcon, Airship Restored"></div></div>
<p>Firstly, not much is known about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Falcon, Airship Restored" href="#" target="_blank">The Falcon, Airship Restored</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It comes from <em>Final Fantasy VI</em>, and was the main airship the heroes used to traverse the world. That is, the world after Kefka made a mess of things, putting it lightly.</p>
<p>That said, our commander has a lot going for us. Firstly, it's in mono-black, so mana issues will be non-existent. That said, this forces us to get creative with our card choices.</p>
<p>Secondly, it's able to bring itself back onto the battlefield. This is huge, because we don't need to keep sending The Falcon back into the command zone.</p>
<p>Thirdly, it lets us reanimate a creature on contact, but it sacrifices itself in the process. Taking all of this into account, I'm sure you know where we're going.</p>
<h2>Boarding the Ship</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flayed One"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Incarnation Technique|sld|1776"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buried Alive|sld|1673"></div></div>
<p>What we're doing here is essentially Mono-Black Reanimator, and there's plenty of choices. However, we need to trim the fat, and send it into the graveyard first.</p>
<p>Firstly, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flayed One" href="#" target="_blank">Flayed One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shinra Reinforcements" href="#" target="_blank">Shinra Reinforcements</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> do this upon entry. That said, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stitcher&#039;s Supplier|fic|287" href="#" target="_blank">Stitcher&#039;s Supplier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does this when it dies as well.</p>
<p>On the other hand, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rejoin the Fight" href="#" target="_blank">Rejoin the Fight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't just mill us, but also can bring back up to three creatures from our graveyard. Though, the opponents will get to choose what comes back. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Warring Triad" href="#" target="_blank">The Warring Triad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is lots of things: reanimation target, ramp, and a way to dig through our library.</p>
<p>Secondly, we can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buried Alive|sld|1673" href="#" target="_blank">Buried Alive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to search for specific targets, and send them to the graveyard. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Key to the City|fic|348" href="#" target="_blank">Key to the City</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help The Falcon bypass flying blockers. That said, it also gets bigger creatures out of our hand, keep them from clogging it up.</p>
<p>Thirdly, like Rejoin the Fight, there's a few all-stars that can both mill and reanimate. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Incarnation Technique|sld|1776" href="#" target="_blank">Incarnation Technique</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s demonstrate ability allows us to copy it. On the other hand, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The War in Heaven" href="#" target="_blank">The War in Heaven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> draws cards, mills us, and reanimates a creature, all in one package.</p>
<p>Speaking of packages, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tomb Fortress" href="#" target="_blank">Tomb Fortress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> mills and reanimates, but exiling it makes it a one-time deal. Use it wisely.</p>
<h2>Greeting the Passengers</h2>
<p>We've milled some cards, and we have some form of reanimation in our hand, but what do we get back?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Primal Odin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zodiark, Umbral God"></div></div>
<p>Firstly, you can always go the tried and true big stuff route. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Depravity|fic|273" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Depravity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will ensure no board will clutter. In a similar vein, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zodiark, Umbral God" href="#" target="_blank">Zodiark, Umbral God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does his best Thanos impression, making everyone sacrifice half of their (non-God) creatures.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hexmark Destroyer" href="#" target="_blank">Hexmark Destroyer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, though, will be difficult to block unless there's an army of tokens. Conversely, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shard of the Void Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Shard of the Void Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will snipe a troublesome permanent.</p>
<p>Secondly, we can always bring back something that provides some utility. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seymour Flux" href="#" target="_blank">Seymour Flux</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Arena" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Arena</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that gets bigger with each trigger. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siegfried, Famed Swordsman" href="#" target="_blank">Siegfried, Famed Swordsman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> mills us on entry, then gets bigger for each creature in our bin. However, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER" href="#" target="_blank">Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will drain our opponents while we keep killing off creatures, especially so if we can obtain his emblem.</p>
<p>Thirdly, there's always targets that help fulfill the deck's theme in some ways. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sepulchral Primordial|fic|284" href="#" target="_blank">Sepulchral Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will reanimate multiple creatures from our opponents. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Primal Odin" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Primal Odin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is scary: the first chapter destroys a creature, then it outright murders an opponent if it connects with the second chapter active; use Key to the City to make it even more disgusting.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardyn, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ardyn, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is graveyard hate on top of making a token copy of that creature. Said creature comes with sizeable states, plus keywords from Ardyn as well.</p>
<p>Lastly, if push comes to shove, we can always recur The Falcon, and use that to bring something back (just remember to crew it first!)</p>
<h2>The Falcon, Airship Restored Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond-The Falcon" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Falcon, Airship Restored
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Archfiend of Depravity
*1 Ardyn, the Usurper
*1 Canoptek Wraith
*1 Flayed One
*1 Gaius van Baelsar
*1 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
*1 Hexmark Destroyer
*1 Merciless Executioner
*1 Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel
*1 Sepulchral Primordial
*1 Seymour Flux
*1 Shard of the Void Dragon
*1 Shinra Reinforcements
*1 Siegfried, Famed Swordsman
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Stitcher&#039;s Supplier
*1 Summon: Primal Odin
*1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
*1 The Warring Triad
*1 Zenos yae Galvus // Shinryu, Transcendent Rival
*1 Zodiark, Umbral God
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Death in Heaven
*1 The War in Heaven
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Beacon of Unrest
*1 Dread Return
*1 Evil Reawakened
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Incarnation Technique
*1 Living Death
*1 Mutilate
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Reanimate
*1 Rejoin the Fight
*1 Resentful Revelation
*1 Restart Sequence
*1 Rise of the Dark Realms
*1 Stitch Together
*1 Syphon Mind
*1 Temporal Extortion
*1 Their Name Is Death
*1 Toxic Deluge
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Caged Sun
*1 Endless Atlas
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Key to the City
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sceptre of Eternal Glory
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Crypt Incursion
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Darkness
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Deadly Rollick
*1 Defile
*1 Dismember
*1 Overkill
*1 Saw in Half
*1 Snuff Out
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Liliana of the Dark Realms
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Eden, Seat of the Sanctum
*1 Midgar, City of Mako // Reactor Raid
*1 Myriad Landscape
*29 Swamp
*1 Tomb Fortress
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Making the Most of the Trip</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cabal Coffers|ltc|360"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rise of the Dark Realms|fic|283"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Market Connections|acr|87"></div></div>
<p>Today's list is your average Reanimator list, only that we're restricted to black. Fortunately, The Falcon is reanimation, and can recur itself when we sacrifice it. Multiple reanimations like that aren't common (even if it's a hefty cost to bring it back from the graveyard).</p>
<p>Firstly, we have the fabled <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers|ltc|360" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth|ltc|375" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> combo to provide us with a ton of mana to use. The only planeswalker in the deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana of the Dark Realms|sld|1593" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana of the Dark Realms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will help us either remove annoying permanents, or consistently let us hit our land drops. Don't count on hitting that emblem, but we basically win if you do. One of those lands can help cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Extortion|sld|1859" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Extortion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to give us an extra turn.</p>
<p>Secondly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death in Heaven" href="#" target="_blank">Death in Heaven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> snipes our opponents' graveyard, but more importantly gives us bodies with which to crew The Falcon. In addition, smaller bodies like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor|fca|35" href="#" target="_blank">Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Shinra Reinforcements, and the tokens made from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market Connections|acr|87" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market Connections</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help crew it, too.</p>
<p>Lastly, if we need to, we can close out games with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise of the Dark Realms|fic|283" href="#" target="_blank">Rise of the Dark Realms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and a flipped <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zenos yae Galvus" href="#" target="_blank">Zenos yae Galvus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Another way, if you can pull it off, is to repeatedly trigger Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER (or his emblem if you manage to flip him)'s ability to drain your opponents.</p>
<h2>Venturing Into the Blind Eternities</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gray Merchant of Asphodel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chainer, Dementia Master"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archon of Cruelty"></div></div>
<p>I've covered this in past articles (sidenote: I'm going to have to go out of my way to avoid more Reanimator articles), but going in-universe expands our reanimation suite. We gain access to cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animate Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Animate Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necromancy" href="#" target="_blank">Necromancy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which are cheap to cast.</p>
<p>On that note, since we're in mono-black, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> becomes incredibly strong here, perhaps enough to be a finisher on its own. An oldie, but goodie, is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainer, Dementia Master" href="#" target="_blank">Chainer, Dementia Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is the perfect in-universe choice if Vehicles as commanders aren't your jam. He can even pull from our opponent's graveyards, too! He gets especially potent when we have the Coffers/Urborg combo, since his ability is repeatable.</p>
<p>In addition, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Noxious Gearhulk" href="#" target="_blank">Noxious Gearhulk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card I'm surprised hasn't gotten the <em>Universes Beyond</em> treatment yet, is all-around good removal on a decent body. Another good body to use is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Cruelty" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Cruelty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can run away with the game if unchecked.</p>
<p>Another good finisher is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torment of Hailfire" href="#" target="_blank">Torment of Hailfire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but know that it'll cause groans at the table, and isn't really a fun way to win.</p>
<h2>Preparing to Land</h2>
<p>Building a deck with a Vehicle as a commander was something I thought would never happen, but here we are. If you ask me, I was half-expecting planeswalkers to be first (technically, there a few where you can, but I wasn't counting those). Though, I imagine some of them would be too broken for the command zone, and the banlist would certainly get larger.</p>
<p>That said, I imagine we'll get more legendary Vehicles down the road, and in more color combinations now that they're legal as commanders. As of the writing, most of our choices are either monocolored, or colorless, and the options don't automatically scream commander-material (not the format, but as commanders).</p>
<p>Tune in next time, where we take an unexpected turn, and have a need to control some chaos.</p>


reanimator commander

Trystan, Callous Cultivator Commander Deck Tech

The Best Graveyard Cards of 2025 for Commander

Building a Falcon, Airship Restored Commander Deck