<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roon of the Hidden Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Roon of the Hidden Realm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></em> | <em>Art by <a href="https://www.steveprescott.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Prescott</a></em></p>
<p>Today we're looking at a possible new way to build an old favorite: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roon of the Hidden Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Roon of the Hidden Realm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In fact, <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/ecl" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em></a> gave us plenty of new cards that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roon of the Hidden Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Roon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can play around with. So, let's see if they'll be enough to give new life to a somewhat forgotten commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roon of the Hidden Realm"></div></div>
<p>The first half of my build revolves around the main strategy usually associated with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roon of the Hidden Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Roon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/blink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blink</a>.</p>
<h2>Blink Strategy Staples for Roon</h2>
<p>For this reason, we run a bunch of staple cards for this strategy, especially those that allow for multiple flickering. Examples of such an effect are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teleportation Circle" href="#" target="_blank">Teleportation Circle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa, Deep-Dwelling" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa, Deep-Dwelling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Conjurer&#039;s Closet" href="#" target="_blank">Conjurer&#039;s Closet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, all of which assure us one blink per turn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teleportation Circle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thassa, Deep-Dwelling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Conjurer&#039;s Closet"></div></div>
<p>On top of this, we can also count on some generally synergistic cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and its huge draw potential, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eerie Interlude" href="#" target="_blank">Eerie Interlude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s board-wide blink-and-protect effect, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kiora&#039;s Follower" href="#" target="_blank">Kiora&#039;s Follower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s positive interaction with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roon of the Hidden Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Roon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulldrifter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eerie Interlude"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kiora&#039;s Follower"></div></div>
<p>But we aren't here for the same old stuff; we're trying to revamp this commander, aren't we? If that's the case, look no further than <em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em>! The set gives access to a good amount of new targets for our shenanigans, both at a low mana value and as heavy-hitting curve toppers.</p>
<h2>New Blink Cards for Roon from <em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em></h2>
<p>In the first group we can mention <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dundoolin Weaver" href="#" target="_blank">Dundoolin Weaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, an interesting piece of recursion that will almost always be active, considering how creature-focused this deck is. Then, still on the creatures-matter theme, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Formidable Speaker" href="#" target="_blank">Formidable Speaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another homerun card. In fact, it combines a tutor ability upon entering the battlefield and an untap ability, both of which work extremely well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roon of the Hidden Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Roon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Lastly, we can't forget the lovely <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutable Explorer" href="#" target="_blank">Mutable Explorer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will provide us with an additional land whenever we blink it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dundoolin Weaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Formidable Speaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mutable Explorer"></div></div>
<p>Now then, what if we wanted to really impact the board late in the game? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jubilation" href="#" target="_blank">Jubilation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is here for you (and your creatures) to make sure you'll be smacking your opponents' faces. But we can also count on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aurora Awakener" href="#" target="_blank">Aurora Awakener</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to cheat on mana and get a bunch of permanents onto the battlefield.</p>
<p>Last but not least, as long as we blink <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curious Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Curious Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we'll always have an opponent who's more open for combat damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jubilation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aurora Awakener"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curious Colossus"></div></div>
<h2>-1/-1 Counter Strategies</h2>
<p>Up to this moment, everything has been kind of standard. Sure, some new cards do fit well in this strategy, and there are even more of them I didn't mention explicitly here, but I also wanted to give this deck a twist.</p>
<p>One card that caught my attention was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhys, the Evermore" href="#" target="_blank">Rhys, the Evermore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and its ability to make our creatures stick around infinitely if paired with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roon of the Hidden Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Roon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s activated ability.</p>
<p>This also lead me to consider -1/-1 counters as a theme in general. As I was doing so, I encountered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flitterwing Nuisance" href="#" target="_blank">Flitterwing Nuisance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loch Mare" href="#" target="_blank">Loch Mare</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, both of which can be sweet to play with if we reset their counters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhys, the Evermore"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flitterwing Nuisance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loch Mare"></div></div>
<p>So, I started to look more into the archetype, adding cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burdened Stoneback" href="#" target="_blank">Burdened Stoneback</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for protection, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for interaction and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonlit Lamenter" href="#" target="_blank">Moonlit Lamenter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for card draw.</p>
<p>What's neat about all of these cards is how well they interact with our general. In fact, we can virtually activate them an infinite amount of times, as flickering them will reset their counters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burdened Stoneback"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Guardian"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moonlit Lamenter"></div></div>
<p>This nice interaction made me conceive this deck as a Blink strategy with a clear -1/-1 counter subtheme. In this way, we get access to a variety of unexpected benefits.</p>
<p>We can ramp using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devoted Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Devoted Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Channeler Initiate" href="#" target="_blank">Channeler Initiate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Roots" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Roots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which we can keep on resetting to get more and more mana out of them.</p>
<p>Or use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wickerbough Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Wickerbough Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Poppet" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Poppet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to interact with our opponents on different levels.</p>
<p>And even combine <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defiant Greatmaw" href="#" target="_blank">Defiant Greatmaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ornery Kudu" href="#" target="_blank">Ornery Kudu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roon of the Hidden Realm" href="#" target="_blank">Roon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to manipulate the counters as it pleases us.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Devoted Druid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Archmage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defiant Greatmaw"></div></div>
<p>Additionally, there are several cards that interact with our creatures having counters placed on them or removed.</p>
<p>In the first group, we can find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the West Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the West Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for even more ramp, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutational Advantage" href="#" target="_blank">Mutational Advantage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for protection and some additional -1/-1 if we ever needed it, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chocobo Knights" href="#" target="_blank">Chocobo Knights</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for additional damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama of the West Tree"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mutational Advantage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chocobo Knights"></div></div>
<p>Instead, if we want to remove counters from our creatures to make them bigger again, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant" href="#" target="_blank">O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide some card draw, whereas <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Falco Spara, Pactweaver" href="#" target="_blank">Falco Spara, Pactweaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will let us play cards from the top of our library. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sanctuary Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Sanctuary Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will also net us cards, but it'll also slowly grow our forces.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Falco Spara, Pactweaver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sanctuary Warden"></div></div>
<h2>Updated Roon of the Hidden Realm Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Rebuilding Roon" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Roon of the Hidden Realm
[/Commander]
[New Cards]
*1 Aurora Awakener
*1 Burdened Stoneback
*1 Curious Colossus
*1 Disruptor of Currents
*1 Dundoolin Weaver
*1 Flitterwing Nuisance
*1 Formidable Speaker
*1 Glamermite
*1 Glen Elendra Guardian
*1 Jubilation
*1 Loch Mare
*1 Moonlit Lamenter
*1 Morningtide&#039;s Light
*1 Mutable Explorer
*1 Rhys, the Evermore
*1 Subterfuge
[/New Cards]
[Staples]
*1 Abuelo, Ancestral Echo
*1 Brago, King Eternal
*1 Charming Prince
*1 Conjurer&#039;s Closet
*1 Eerie Interlude
*1 Ephemerate
*1 Far Traveler
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Kiora&#039;s Follower
*1 Mulldrifter
*1 Soulherder
*1 Teleportation Circle
*1 Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
[/Staples]
[Counters]
*1 Channeler Initiate
*1 Defiant Greatmaw
*1 Devoted Druid
*1 Glen Elendra Archmage
*1 Grim Poppet
*1 Kitchen Finks
*1 Ornery Kudu
*1 Phyrexian Hydra
*1 Wall of Roots
*1 Wickerbough Elder
*1 Woodfall Primus
[/Counters]
[Conters Synergy]
*1 Cauldron of Souls
*1 Chocobo Knights
*1 Damning Verdict
*1 Falco Spara, Pactweaver
*1 Flourishing Defenses
*1 Kodama of the West Tree
*1 Leech Bonder
*1 Mutational Advantage
*1 O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant
*1 Sanctuary Warden
*1 Thrummingbird
[/Conters Synergy]
[Ramp]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Cultivate
*1 Farseek
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Selesnya Signet
*1 Simic Signet
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Three Visits
[/Ramp]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Bountiful Promenade
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Brushland
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Dreamroot Cascade
*1 Flooded Grove
*7 Forest
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*2 Island
*1 Nesting Grounds
*1 Overgrown Farmland
*4 Plains
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Seaside Citadel
*1 Skycloud Expanse
*1 Spara&#039;s Headquarters
*1 Sungrass Prairie
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*1 Temple Garden
*1 Urban Retreat
*1 Yavimaya Coast
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<p>The end result is a deck that is based on a solid <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/blink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blink</a> foundation, but with a twist that makes it steer away from the usual. The obvious problem with this build is that it can be clunky at times, just like any deck built with two clear halves in mind. In other words, if we only draw <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/blink" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blink</a> spells or <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/minus-1-minus-1-counters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">-1/-1</a> spells, then the deck could have a hard time functioning.</p>
<p>All in all, I think this is a fun build to try out at <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lower-Bracket</a> tables, where we might have enough time to cast all the pieces needed to get our engine going.</p>
<p>But now it's on to you! What do you think? Do you like this deck concept? How would you change it? Let me know in the comments below!</p>


roon

Rebuilding Roon of the Hidden Realm With Lorwyn Eclipsed