<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire / / Ice|MH2|290" href="#" target="_blank">Fire / / Ice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by Dan Scott</h6>
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire // Ice" href="#" target="_blank">Fire // Ice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></em>, a brand new data-driven series where we'll go over some cards that are gaining and losing popularity in various Commander decks. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data.</p>
<p>Of course, EDHREC has a ton of data. Using that data, we'll draw some conclusions about how certain commander's decks are changing over time, give some insight into how the format's players are thinking about new cards, and maybe even give you some cool tech for your favorite commander's list.</p>
<p>With all that said, let's jump right into it.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/introducing-the-math-behind-edhrecs-fire-and-ice-series"><strong><em>For information on how we calculate the </em>Fire and Ice<em> Scores used in this article, check out this writeup.</em></strong></a></p>
<h1><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nekusar, the Mindrazer" href="#" target="_blank">Nekusar, the Mindrazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h1>
<p>Nekusar is an absolute menace for EDH players. This deck churns out damage using its commander's abilities and can make short work of any tables that don't have a way to deal with him quickly.</p>
<p>Nekusar is all in on punishing its opponents for playing the game and is feared for good reason. Looking quickly at its most popular cards, we see that 61% of Nekusar decks are running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Razorkin Needlehead" href="#" target="_blank">Razorkin Needlehead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, 61% have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Deal" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Deal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and 61% contain <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Psychosis Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Psychosis Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Razorkin Needlehead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Deal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Psychosis Crawler"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Nekusar Decks?</h2>
<p>Now that we've got a grasp on what Nekusar does, let's see what cards are trending up for these decks since January of this year.</p>
<p>Some new cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistrise Village" href="#" target="_blank">Mistrise Village</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, slot really nicely into this deck. From <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em>, it's actually the highest riser among all Nekusar decks, with a Fire Score of 5.77. After all, no one wants their spells countered when they're trying to group slug their way through a game.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mistrise Village"></div></div>
<p>But, beyond the new cards, there's some really interesting rising stars:</p>
<ul>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reforge the Soul" href="#" target="_blank">Reforge the Soul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, 2.44 Fire Score</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wheel of Misfortune" href="#" target="_blank">Wheel of Misfortune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, 2.25 Fire Score</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Molten Psyche" href="#" target="_blank">Molten Psyche</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, 2.09 Fire Score</li>
</ul>
<p>These wheels all fit nicely into the deck's general group slug gameplan, so it's interesting to see that so many decks didn't have them included before.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reforge the Soul"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wheel of Misfortune"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Molten Psyche"></div></div>
<p>Now, onto some more niche inclusions. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana&#039;s Caress" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana&#039;s Caress</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a high Fire Score of 2.54 This card pairs nicely with the wheels often included in Nekusar lists, and players have taken notice.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sigil of Sleep" href="#" target="_blank">Sigil of Sleep</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been a big riser too, seeing a Fire Score of 2.13. This card comes to us all the way from 1999's <em>Urza's Destiny</em>, and can turn our commander's already-bothersome pings into game-ending removal, too.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liliana&#039;s Caress"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sigil of Sleep"></div></div>
<h2>What's Icy for Nekusar Decks?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seizan, Perverter of Truth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Tyranny"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fevered Visions"></div></div>
<p>And, if cards are finding their way into Nekusar lists, other cards have got to come out. While the cuts from these decks are varied, three cards lead the pack with big changes in deck inclusion rate.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seizan, Perverter of Truth" href="#" target="_blank">Seizan, Perverter of Truth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a Ice Score of -3.58, the lowest score we'll see for this deck. This may be because of its mana cost: this card sits at the same slot in the curve as our commander.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Tyranny" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Tyranny</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has seen a big drop, too, with a slightly more extreme Ice Score of -3.45.While this card is good, its restrictive mana cost may be too much for deckbuilders to justify.</p>
<p>And, lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fevered Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Fevered Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a -3.38 Ice Score.</p>
<p>Nekusar pilots may be looking for ways to deal more damage than just two-per-turn, possibly justifying this card's large percent change.</p>
<div class="mceTemp">
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.05.44 PM.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-158720 aligncenter" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.05.44 PM.png" alt="" width="1375" height="435" srcset="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.05.44 PM.png 1758w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.05.44 PM-300x95.png 300w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.05.44 PM-1024x324.png 1024w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.05.44 PM-768x243.png 768w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.05.44 PM-1536x486.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1375px) 100vw, 1375px" /></a></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chatterfang, Squirrel General" href="#" target="_blank">Chatterfang, Squirrel General</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chatterfang, Squirrel General"></div></div>
<p>Chatterfang is another super popular commander, leading nearly 20,000 decks and finding himself as the 23rd most popular commander as of the time of writing.</p>
<p>We'll see some notoriously powerful cards gaining popularity here, as some cute on-theme cards fall out of favor. That said, let's see what we can find <em>squirrelled</em> away in Chatterfang's data.</p>
<p>For those of you who haven't had the chance to play against Chatterfang, the deck generally aims to fill the board with tokens and drain out its opponents with Aristocrats-themed win conditions.</p>
<p>Some popular cards for the deck include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (73% of decks), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (68% of decks), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tireless Provisioner" href="#" target="_blank">Tireless Provisioner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (64% of decks).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skullclamp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zulaport Cutthroat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tireless Provisioner"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Chatterfang Decks?</h2>
<p>There's a few cards that have seen big rises in popularity, including eight cards that have seen big jumps in inclusion this year. Let's take a peek at some of the most interesting risers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warren Soultrader"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diabolic Intent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nature&#039;s Rhythm"></div></div>
<p>First up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warren Soultrader" href="#" target="_blank">Warren Soultrader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, carrying a Fire Score of 3.64. This card fits right in with the deck's aristocrat and token themes, making it a great inclusion.</p>
<p>It's also got <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/search/?q=card%3A%22Warren+Soultrader%22+ci%3Agolgari+legal%3Acommander">a huge number of combos that make use of it</a> within Chatterfang's black-green color identity.</p>
<p>Another popular addition is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diabolic Intent" href="#" target="_blank">Diabolic Intent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This card got a Fire Score of 2.64, and it does a pretty good impression of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diabolic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Diabolic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a deck with so many disposable creatures.</p>
<p>Last but not least is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature&#039;s Rhythm" href="#" target="_blank">Nature&#039;s Rhythm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another card from <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em> that's found a home in one of the format's most popular decks. This card works great with the creature-heavy, graveyard-centric gameplan of the deck, so it's no surprise that it tops our list here with a Fire Score of 4.78.</p>
<h2>What's Icy for Chatterfang Decks?</h2>
<p>Quite a few cards have seen big drops in popularity, too, with nine cards seeing their inclusion rate drop by precipitously.</p>
<p>The card that left the most decks, by far, is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Squirrel Mob" href="#" target="_blank">Squirrel Mob</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a Ice Score of -4.39 (the lowest we'll see today). While this card is cool and thematic for players who'd like a Squirrel-centric build, paying for a large creature with no built-in evasion is much less appealing now than it has been in the past.</p>
<p>The same holds true for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drey Keeper" href="#" target="_blank">Drey Keeper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card that's got a Ice Score of -3.84. While this card is certainly flavorful, a higher casting cost and an expensive activated ability have likely taken this card out of contention for a slot in Chatterfang's army.</p>
<p>The last card that we'll touch on today is one that I wouldn't have expected to be on this list.</p>
<p>While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Squirrel Sovereign" href="#" target="_blank">Squirrel Sovereign</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a Ice Score of -3.74, I view it as a key role-player for <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wotc-introduces-new-bracket-system-for-edh">lower bracket</a> Chatterfang lists. However, it's possible that it's being replaced by the popular (and consequently more expensive) Treasure-maker <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warren Soultrader" href="#" target="_blank">Warren Soultrader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as demonstrated in the mirrored pattern of usage in the line graph below for these two cards.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.06.35 PM.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-158719" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.06.35 PM.png" alt="" width="1772" height="588" srcset="https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.06.35 PM.png 1772w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.06.35 PM-300x100.png 300w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.06.35 PM-1024x340.png 1024w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.06.35 PM-768x255.png 768w, https://edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-2.06.35 PM-1536x510.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1772px) 100vw, 1772px" /></a></p>
<h1>Until next time, Stay Cool (or Hot)!</h1>
<p>That's all we have for this week, but we'll be back soon with another edition of <em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire // Ice" href="#" target="_blank">Fire // Ice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></em>. For now, I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what commander's you'd like a data deep dive on in the comments below. I'll take a few of the most interesting picks and include them in the next installment in this series. Until then, happy brewing!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nekusar, the Mindrazer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chatterfang, Squirrel General"></div></div>
</div>


recs

Fire and Ice: What Cards are Hot and Cold for July 2025?