Rule Zero: Avatar's Double-Faced Sagas as Commanders

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><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> | Art by <a href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/search?artistName=eq~Ramza_Psyru" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramza Psyru</a></em></p>
<h2>Recruitment Process</h2>
<p>Hello, and welcome to a special edition of <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>. This week we're tackling something rather odd. It's a deck that's got a short story to it that was basically my brain being obsessed over it. Basically, we're taking on a Commander deck for the Pride Event this month. To sum it up, it's essentially any two legendary creatures can be your commander(s) as though they had the Partner mechanic. I thought I'd take this opportunity to tackle a deck for the event in case it's something you want to do.</p>
<p>That said, let's get into it.</p>
<h2>Assemble the Turks!</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reno and Rude"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elena, Turk Recruit"></div></div>
<p>We're talking about the Turks, which is an informal name for the Investigation Sector of the General Affairs Department, a branch of the Shinra Company from <em>Final Fantasy VII.</em> To put it in basics, they're spies and assassins who also look out for potential new recruits into the SOLDIER program. They're very much akin to an intelligence agency. Reno, Rude, and Elena are three of the members.</p>
<p>With Reno/Rude (and will henceforth be known as such for simplicity), they do their best iteration of the notorious <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Unfortunately, you have to sacrifice a creature or an artifact, and there's no dash mechanic to "protect" them. Elena, on the other hand, recurs historic permanents and gets bigger for each one cast.</p>
<p>If you're not doing the Pride Event (perhaps you're playing this deck later this year, for example), there's a number of Orzhov options you can use. Perhaps <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tymna the Weaver|fca|18" href="#" target="_blank">Tymna the Weaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on her own.</p>
<p>However, we're going to try and use Reno/Rude to the best of our ability while Elena sits back, act as both utility and part-time win-con.</p>
<h2>An Orientation, If You Will</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hildibrand Manderville"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarah Jane Smith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodforged Battle-Axe|pip|226"></div></div>
<p>Crucially, we need to have stuff to sacrifice to Reno/Rude's ability. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarah Jane Smith" href="#" target="_blank">Sarah Jane Smith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> drops Clue tokens when we cast historic spells. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hildibrand Manderville" href="#" target="_blank">Hildibrand Manderville</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the token he makes, are great sacrifice fodder. Moreover, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="General&#039;s Enforcer|pip|217" href="#" target="_blank">General&#039;s Enforcer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> protects the Turks, makes a token, and hits graveyards. Secondly, if we can connect with it enough times, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodforged Battle-Axe|pip|226" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodforged Battle-Axe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make a lot of copies of itself. Thirdly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astrid Peth" href="#" target="_blank">Astrid Peth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes tokens when she enters or attacks. However, she is frail, so take care where she attacks.</p>
<p>Further, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff" href="#" target="_blank">Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> nets us Treasure tokens when someone casts multiple spells a turn. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Plunderer|fic|281" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes two when we lose a creature we control. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market Connections" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market Connections</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does everything: if you pay six life, you get a Treasure, draw a card, and make a creature token to sacrifice. That said, that life loss is brutal long-term, so you're probably better off removing the Treasure. Looking at the cards I mentioned so far, I can notice a subtle pattern.</p>
<h2>Shinra Armory</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Biotransference"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Truth and Justice|sld|1867"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pip-Boy 3000"></div></div>
<p>Going an artifact sub-theme will ensure that the Turks will gain maximum benefit. Artifacts are historic, so Elena will recur them and count for her trigger. They're also the best stuff to sacrifice to get Reno's/Rude's trigger, and the various Equipment will make our smaller creatures more menacing.</p>
<p>Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dalek Squadron" href="#" target="_blank">Dalek Squadron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes tokens that get sacrificed at end of combat. However, why not get rid of one of them to trigger Reno/Rude? Meanwhile, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Canoptek Scarab Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Canoptek Scarab Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <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> are graveyard hate that make fodder for them. Secondly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biotransference" href="#" target="_blank">Biotransference</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> nets us tokens and turns every creature we have into an artifact, meaning options to sacrifice.</p>
<p>However, we're working with a lot of creatures with tiny stats, so let's buff them. The Swords of X and Y cycle (of which half are in the <em>Universes Beyond</em> card pool) is a great start. Of note is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Truth and Justice||sld|1867" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Truth and Justice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which gives the equipped creature a permanent +2/+2. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pip-Boy 3000" href="#" target="_blank">Pip-Boy 3000</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a lot of utility, including pumping the equipped creature. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umezawa&#039;s Jitte|sld|1865" href="#" target="_blank">Umezawa&#039;s Jitte</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very good, doing a lot of stuff just from doing any damage rather than just hitting out opponent.</p>
<p>It's worth noting that the best creature to equip these to is Reno/Rude, since they'll die to a breeze. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Astrid Peth" href="#" target="_blank">Astrid Peth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another good target as well for the same reason. That said, the others aren't bad targets, either. The reason is because we want to get swinging, chipping away at our opponents while getting value from our stuff. That last sentence is a hint as to what the overall archetype of the deck will likely be. I might have even given it away when I mentioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tymna the Weaver|fca|18" href="#" target="_blank">Tymna the Weaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Elena and Reno and Rude Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond - The Turks (Pride Event)" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Elena, Turk Recruit
*1 Reno and Rude
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Al Bhed Salvagers
*1 Astrid Peth
*1 Bastion Protector
*1 Canoptek Scarab Swarm
*1 Canoptek Spyder
*1 Canoptek Wraith
*1 Company Commander
*1 Dalek Squadron
*1 Gaius van Baelsar
*1 General&#039;s Enforcer
*1 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
*1 Hildibrand Manderville // Gentleman&#039;s Rise
*1 Judge Magister Gabranth
*1 Loran of the Third Path
*1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
*1 Mangara, the Diplomat
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Pitiless Plunderer
*1 Sarah Jane Smith
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sun Titan
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Biotransference
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Death in Heaven
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Despark
*1 Dismember
*1 Flawless Maneuver
*1 Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal
*1 Lethal Scheme
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Stroke of Midnight
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Utter End
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Cut a Deal
*1 Damn
*1 Toxic Deluge
*1 Unfinished Business
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bloodforged Battle-Axe
*1 Brotherhood Regalia
*1 Genji Glove
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Pip-Boy 3000
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine
*1 Sword of Hearth and Home
*1 Sword of Light and Shadow
*1 Sword of Truth and Justice
*1 Sword of War and Peace
*1 Sword of the Animist
*1 Tome of Legends
*1 Umezawa&#039;s Jitte
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Abstergo Entertainment
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Desolate Mire
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Fetid Heath
*1 Insomnia, Crown City
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Path of Ancestry
*9 Plains
*1 Scoured Barrens
*1 Shineshadow Snarl
*1 Silent Clearing
*1 Sunlit Marsh
*9 Swamp
*1 Tainted Field
*1 Temple of Silence
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>The Briefing</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor|fca|35"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tome of Legends|fic|369"></div></div>
<p>The name of the game with this list is to go on the aggressive while having enough fodder for Reno/Rude's trigger. In addition, cards 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> helps with this. He'll provide card draw, and incentive for our opponents to go elsewhere. In a similar vein, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Canoptek Spyder" href="#" target="_blank">Canoptek Spyder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> draws us cards when an artifact enters our board. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brotherhood Regalia" href="#" target="_blank">Brotherhood Regalia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will ensure that Reno/Rude can slip through a horde of tokens and connect.</p>
<p>However, going on the aggressive makes us more vulnerable to board wipes. Fortunately, white gives us access to some counters to this. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal" href="#" target="_blank">Galadriel&#039;s Dismissal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> serves as one of the best for our purposes. On the other hand, it can also serve as a way to clear blockers for a massive attack. Secondly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clever Concealment|fic|236" href="#" target="_blank">Clever Concealment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> easily protects our stuff. Moreover, if we have enough creatures out, we can take advantage of the convoke cost. Speaking of free spells, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flawless Maneuver|sld|1728" href="#" target="_blank">Flawless Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be cast for free if either commander is out.</p>
<p>With the Turks being so cheap to cast, we can take advantage of a few cards to further our plan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tome of Legends|fic|369" href="#" target="_blank">Tome of Legends</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will accrue counters quickly, which we can turn into a steady source of card draw. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bastion Protector|fic|233" href="#" target="_blank">Bastion Protector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will protect the Turks while they carry out their respective tasks. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Genji Glove" href="#" target="_blank">Genji Glove</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not only allows for certain creatures to take advantage of the double strike (like Reno/Rude), but also gives us an extra combat step to reap more value.</p>
<h2>Missions Beyond This Universe</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Esper Sentinel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breena, the Demagogue"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cathars&#039; Crusade"></div></div>
<p>Our in-universe options mostly consist of staples we could run. If you're looking for an alternate commander to the Turks, look no further than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breena, the Demagogue" href="#" target="_blank">Breena, the Demagogue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The card can be confusing, so allow me to break it down for you. Say you attack while you have Breena out. Her trigger will go off, and it'll check life totals. If that player has more life than another opponent (not you), you get the trigger. Keep in mind that an opponent can also get Breena's trigger, so there's incentive not to attack you. Those counters will add up very fast, making you into a threat very quickly.</p>
<p>For this section, I'm going to assume that you're going to switch the Turks out for Breena (it'd be good to keep them in the 99 anyway). That said, other options include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esper Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Esper Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dusk Legion Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Dusk Legion Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for more card draw. Meanwhile, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropolis Regent" href="#" target="_blank">Necropolis Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a heavy black mana requirement, it'll also pump your board each time they connect.</p>
<p>With Breena now at the helm, we want to buff our little guys as much as we can. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Pup" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Pup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not just an adorable pooch, but it can pump the whole team, possibly each turn. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drana, Liberator of Malakir" href="#" target="_blank">Drana, Liberator of Malakir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can put counters on our board when she connects. It's worth noting that she has first strike, so you get said counters onto the other attacking creatures before they deal their damage. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felidar Retreat" href="#" target="_blank">Felidar Retreat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make our creatures bigger with each land we play.</p>
<p>I do want to take a moment to address <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathars&#039; Crusade" href="#" target="_blank">Cathars&#039; Crusade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's easily one of the best cards to add in-universe, but the amount of counters being added, especially when multiple come in at once (say, a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Martial Coup" href="#" target="_blank">Martial Coup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) will make heads spin. I avoid it for this reason, but you're welcome to run the card if you can manage it.</p>
<h2>Mission Accomplished</h2>
<p>In conclusion, this an approach in Orzhov colors I can get behind. Like I said, I built this deck specifically for the Pride Event this month, but it won't take much to change the command zone. When you go to play in a pod of random people, be sure to utilize Rule 0 to see if they let you use the Turks as the commanders. If not, there's plenty to choose from. There's even one in the 99 of the decklist I posted. Tune in next week where I tackle what will be a small taste of my ambitions for the <em>Final Fantasy </em>set.</p>


rule zero commander deck

Rule Zero: Avatar's Double-Faced Sagas as Commanders

The Turks of Final Fantasy - Pride Event Commander Deck