<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terminus" href="#" target="_blank">Terminus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.jarelthreat.com/">Jarel Threat</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome back to <em>60 to 100</em>, a series where I take beloved decks from 60-card formats and convert them to Commander. It's been a few months since the last installment, and I'm so excited to get back to it! To celebrate my triumphant return, I'm going to be taking a look at one of my favorite Legacy decks from what I consider to be the format's glory days: Miracles. Once a powerhouse of the Legacy format, Miracles has completely fallen off the map in recent times. Many attribute this deck's fall from grace to the 2017 banning of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top" href="#" target="_blank">Sensei&#039;s Divining Top</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Fortunately for this series, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top" href="#" target="_blank">Sensei&#039;s Divining Top</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is still perfectly legal in Commander, and there's no one to stop me from casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terminus" href="#" target="_blank">Terminus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> here.</p>
<h2>The Source Material</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Miracles by Brian Braun-duin" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Planeswalkers]
*2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
[/Planeswalkers]
[Creatures]
*3 Monastery Mentor
*3 Snapcaster Mage
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*4 Ponder
*4 Terminus
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*4 Brainstorm
*1 Counterspell
*4 Force of Will
*4 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*2 Engineered Explosives
*4 Sensei&#039;s Divining Top
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*4 Counterbalance
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*2 Arid Mesa
*4 Flooded Strand
*4 Island
*2 Plains
*4 Scalding Tarn
*3 Tundra
*2 Volcanic Island
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terminus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Counterbalance"></div></div>
<p>Miracles is a control deck that uses <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top" href="#" target="_blank">Sensei&#039;s Divining Top</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to set up instant-speed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terminus" href="#" target="_blank">Terminus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plays and lock opponents out of the game with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterbalance" href="#" target="_blank">Counterbalance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With Sensei's Divining Top and Counterbalance in play, alongside <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, the Mind Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, the Mind Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s +0 ability, it wasn't uncommon to achieve game states where the opponent simply couldn't resolve any more spells. From there, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monastery Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Monastery Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Jace, the Mind Sculptor, and in some cases a huge <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entreat the Angels" href="#" target="_blank">Entreat the Angels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could easily close out a game. That's really all there is to it!</p>
<p>In April 2017, Sensei's Divining Top was banned, citing both power level concerns and tournament logistics issues. A player with a Sensei's Divining Top in play could often eat up large portions of the round timer, leading to delays in extra turns with repeated Top activations. Combined with the fact that Miracles had been the best deck in the format for quite some time by that point, the folks at <em>Wizards</em> decided that enough is enough. This ban didn't immediately kill the deck, but it was the beginning of the end for Miracles. Today, you won't even find Miracles in Legacy metagame breakdowns, although it has seen something of a resurgence in Modern in 2025.</p>
<h2>Bringing Miracles to Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aminatou, the Fateshifter"></div></div>
<p>I struggled with choosing a commander to helm this deck a lot. In the end, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aminatou, the Fateshifter" href="#" target="_blank">Aminatou, the Fateshifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was too good to pass up. Her precon was what introduced me to the miracle mechanic way back when, and she's literally tailor-made for this strategy! Her +1, much like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, the Mind Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, the Mind Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s +0 ability, can set a miracle card on top of the deck. Her -1 blinks a permanent, which synergizes well with the many powerful enters triggers that help make this deck tick.</p>
<p>When writing this series, I'm normally something of a stickler for color identity, and I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't find an Azorius(<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-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) or Jeskai(<span class="mana-container-container"><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 class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) commander that tickled my fancy. To justify this breach of the source material's color identity to myself, I've decided that it isn't entirely implausible that a Miracles player at some point in the deck's history would have included a couple black cards somewhere in the 75, and black really is just a splash color in my final build of the deck anyhow.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Miracles</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terminus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Devastation Tide"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Entreat the Angels"></div></div>
<p>The most important part of this Miracles deck is... the miracles! In Legacy, Miracles decks got away with including four copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terminus" href="#" target="_blank">Terminus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and sometimes a copy or two of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entreat the Angels" href="#" target="_blank">Entreat the Angels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If I could, I'd probably just play four Terminuses as well, but Commander's singleton restriction forces me to branch out a bit. Thankfully, there are plenty of good options. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devastation Tide" href="#" target="_blank">Devastation Tide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a board wipe in the same vein as Terminus. If I squint a little, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zephyrim" href="#" target="_blank">Zephyrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does a decent enough impression of Entreat the Angels. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just a bananas extra turn spell that I'd be thrilled to include in most of my blue decks.</p>
<p>In constructed formats, the second or third best version of an effect will rarely see play. Why include the second best board wipe with miracle when a deck can have four copies of Terminus? The most exciting prospect of porting a deck like Miracles to Commander is getting the thrill of playing with a lot of these second or third best options that I'd never include in a 60-card deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scroll Rack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trinket Mage"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top" href="#" target="_blank">Sensei&#039;s Divining Top</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and its functionally similar cousin, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scroll Rack" href="#" target="_blank">Scroll Rack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are vital to allowing this deck to live out this deck's dreams of ruining opponents' days by locking them out with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterbalance" href="#" target="_blank">Counterbalance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or slamming a Terminus after they've resolved a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and moved to combat. To do that, I'm going to need a lot of ways to fish those two artifacts out of the deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trinket Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Trinket Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tribute Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Tribute Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can grab Sensei's Divining Top and Scroll Rack, respectively. They can also be blinked with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aminatou, the Fateshifter" href="#" target="_blank">Aminatou, the Fateshifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for additional value to find artifacts, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expedition Map" href="#" target="_blank">Expedition Map</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disruptor Flute" href="#" target="_blank">Disruptor Flute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Step Through"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spellseeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Muddle the Mixture"></div></div>
<p>As is often the case with my decks, there's a second layer of tutors devoted to finding more tutors! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Step Through" href="#" target="_blank">Step Through</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of my favorite cards to include in blue decks, as it incentivizes me to construct a package of situational Wizards around it. In addition to giving purpose to my situational Wizards package, it serves as an uncounterable, instant-speed tutor that can find Trinket Mage or Tribute Mage for just two mana.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spellseeker" href="#" target="_blank">Spellseeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is yet another tutor that can be searched for with Step Through. This combination provides access to any card in the deck via <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vampiric Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Vampiric Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. My favorite chain of tutors made possible in this deck is Step Through to find Spellseeker, Spellseeker to find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muddle the Mixture" href="#" target="_blank">Muddle the Mixture</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and finally Muddle the Mixture to find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterbalance" href="#" target="_blank">Counterbalance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is unlikely to be a common line of play, but it's important to me that I have multiple lines to find all of my deck's key cards.</p>
<h2>How Does this Miracles Deck Win the Game?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Entreat the Angels"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zephyrim"></div></div>
<p>Aside from the common Miracles win condition of opponents conceding out of exhaustion, this control deck is actually looking to win through good, old-fashioned combat! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entreat the Angels" href="#" target="_blank">Entreat the Angels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zephyrim" href="#" target="_blank">Zephyrim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are both instant-speed late game mana sinks that can flood the board with flying bodies to close out a game. This requires a lot of mana and therefore time to achieve, but such is the nature of control decks.</p>
<p>In a control deck like Miracles, the important thing isn't so much that it has an instant-win button, but rather that it has a theoretically possible way to bring a game to an end after it has stabilized and rendered all opposing strategies inert. By the time the board has been flooded with 4/4 Angels that are swinging for lethal, the game has likely been effectively over for multiple turns.</p>
<h2>Miracles Commander Decklist</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Legacy Miracles" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Aminatou, the Fateshifter
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Bender&#039;s Waterskin
*1 Dimir Signet
*1 Disruptor Flute
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Meekstone
*1 Scroll Rack
*1 Sensei&#039;s Divining Top
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Dominance
*1 Talisman of Progress
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Archaeomancer
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Boggart Trawler // Boggart Bog
*1 Grief
*1 Loyal Warhound
*1 Reflector Mage
*1 Solitude
*1 Spellseeker
*1 Subtlety
*1 Tribute Mage
*1 Trinket Mage
*1 Triumph of Saint Katherine
*1 Venser, Shaper Savant
*1 Wall of Omens
*1 Zephyrim
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Banishing Stroke
*1 Brainstorm
*1 Brainsurge
*1 Consider
*1 Consult the Star Charts
*1 Counterspell
*1 Cryptic Command
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Ephemerate
*1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
*1 Flusterstorm
*1 Force of Will
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Muddle the Mixture
*1 Mystic Confluence
*1 Mystical Tutor
*1 Opt
*1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
*1 Sublime Epiphany
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Three Steps Ahead
*1 Vampiric Tutor
*1 Vanishment
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Counterbalance
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Damn
*1 Devastation Tide
*1 Entreat the Angels
*1 Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn
*1 Step Through
*1 Supreme Verdict
*1 Temporal Mastery
*1 Terminus
[/Sorceries]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
*1 Teferi, Master of Time
*1 Teferi, Time Raveler
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Bleachbone Verge
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Celestial Colonnade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Emergence Zone
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Floodfarm Verge
*1 Gloomlake Verge
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*3 Island
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Meticulous Archive
*1 Misty Rainforest
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Otawara, Soaring City
*2 Plains
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Raffine&#039;s Tower
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Shadowy Backstreet
*1 Shipwreck Marsh
*1 Sunken Citadel
*1 Swamp
*1 Undercity Sewers
*1 Urza&#039;s Saga
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Windswept Heath
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This deck fills me with indescribable joy! I just barely missed out on the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sensei&#039;s Divining Top" href="#" target="_blank">Sensei&#039;s Divining Top</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> era of Miracles decks. My memories of that version of the deck come from binge watching old Grand Prix and SCG Tour coverage when I first ventured into competitive <em>Magic</em>. By the time I was experienced enough to even begin wrapping my head around playing Legacy, Sensei's Divining Top had long been banned. With this deck, I get to experience a taste of what masters of the archetype like Reid Duke felt playing Miracles in its prime.</p>
<p>This Commander deck falls nicely into Bracket 3 (Upgraded), including just three Game Changers and lacking any sort of two-card combos. I think this bracket is perfect for control decks like this one, as the changes that must be made to power these decks up enough to hang in higher brackets compromises their identity in ways I find less satisfying. When piloting the decks that I build for this series, I'm much more interested in the decks recreating the experience of playing their 60-card counterparts than creating a deck that plays like a high power Commander deck.</p>
<p>That's it for this installment of <em>60 to 100</em>! I'd love to read about must-play cards I missed in the comments! I'm always overjoyed to see the feedback this series gets, and I'm so happy to hear from fellow devotees of 60-card <em>Magic</em> and players that haven't gotten to experience this side of the game alike!</p>


Playing Legacy Miracles in Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by </span><a href="http://www.tylerjacobsonart.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tyler Jacobson</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></h6>
<h1><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scry Me a River</span></h1>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Feel like your deck just is not coming together? Welcome to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Solve the Equation</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, where we take a look at the numbers and see what's making your deck and in-game decision-making fall flat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate</em> is full of interesting new commanders to build around, and the one that's caught my eye sure loves to scry! One of my favorite commanders from the original <em>Commander Legends</em> was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eligeth, Crossroads Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Eligeth, Crossroads Augur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The deck drew a ton of cards, but it quickly turned stale and struggled to close out the game. Enter <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who looks like a Azorius value engine who also happens to profit from scrying. However, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has many more tricks up his sleeve, making this a completely unique deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elminster"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s take a look at how to make the most of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s suite of abilities.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s Take a Look at Our Wizard's Spellbook</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First ability:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whenever you scry, the next instant or sorcery spell you cast this turn costs {X} less to cast, where X is the number of cards looked at while scrying this way.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The best spellslinger decks leverage cost-reducers to cast huge spells. This is how <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mizzix of the Izmagnus" href="#" target="_blank">Mizzix of the Izmagnus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">decks have been winning games for a while. Even better, scry is often an afterthought on cards, which means many of the cards with the highest scry-rates are under-played and cheap!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Second ability:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">+2: Draw a card, then scry 2.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Draw a card” is always a solid ability on a planeswalker, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will frequently replace itself the turn it comes down. The scry 2 here can set up a huge spell at a discount and even set up our next turn to use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s other ability.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Third ability:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;">−3: Exile the top card of your library. Create a number of 1/1 blue Faerie Dragon creature tokens with flying equal to that card’s mana value.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are some serious tokens! Flying makes these a real threat and with some high-mana-value spells that we can even leave a few behind to chump block.</span></p>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Turning Scrying into a Ritual</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Casting huge spells can be a tough task, and one of the most efficient ways of casting them is through ritual spells, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We would not normally have access to these spells in white and blue, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ability allows us to take advantage of scrying as if we are casting a ritual.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Ritual"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desperate Ritual"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The key numbers to compare here are the amount we scry against the card's mana value. We're looking for spells that scry for a greater amount than their mana value. If a spell costs a single mana but has scry 3, then we're effectively going up on mana if we have a bigger spell we plan to cast in our hand. This takes spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Preordain" href="#" target="_blank">Preordain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Visions" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Visions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which already have incredibly high floors, and super-charges them.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Preordain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Visions"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We can find this effect on creatures as well with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Seer" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Seer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Augury Owl" href="#" target="_blank">Augury Owl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both putting us up on mana in comparison to their mana value. Things really get crazy with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptic Annelid" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptic Annelid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which not only sets up our next draw wonderfully, but also discounts our next spell by six mana! (Remember, Elminster triggers <em>each </em>time we scry, so he'll reduce the cost of the spell by 1, 2, and 3, for a total of 6.)</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faerie Seer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Augury Owl"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cryptic Annelid"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Discounts for Days</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These scry-bursts are great for casting big spells, but we also want to be able to scry reliably. Remember, our commander can scry twice a turn on its own, so it will not take too many extra scry effects to generate a huge discount consistently. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Netherese Puzzle-Ward" href="#" target="_blank">Netherese Puzzle-Ward</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a niche card that fits right into this deck, giving us a consistent discount each turn and even occasionally drawing us a card. (Bonus points for this card's <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em> flavor!) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace&#039;s Sanctum" href="#" target="_blank">Jace&#039;s Sanctum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a built-in discount, and the scry effect stacks with it effectively making our spells cost two less if we plan on casting a few in the same turn.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Netherese Puzzle-Ward"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jace&#039;s Sanctum"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, some cards fit this deck like a glove. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ugin&#039;s Insight" href="#" target="_blank">Ugin&#039;s Insight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will put us at least even on mana while drawing cards and potentially setting up our future draws. The same can be said for cards such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Foresee" href="#" target="_blank">Foresee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diviner&#039;s Portent" href="#" target="_blank">Diviner&#039;s Portent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does double duty by both being a way to scry and an outlet to dump extra mana into from our discount.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ugin&#039;s Insight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diviner&#039;s Portent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here Come Dragons</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now let's take advantage of that -3 ability! These spells are also serving double duty. They're both cards to cast at a discount and cards to exile to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elminster" href="#" target="_blank">Elminster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ability to make Faerie Dragons. We want cards that can win games on their own. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> literally wins the game on its own, and we can dig to the spell easily within a turn with how much scry we have in our deck. Not only is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Herd" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Herd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> an expensive spell, it'll make a ton of creatures either way we use it! Planeswalker commanders also pull damage away from our own life total, potentially making <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm Herd" href="#" target="_blank">Storm Herd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> even more effective.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Approach of the Second Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm Herd"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone Legion" href="#" target="_blank">Clone Legion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aminatou&#039;s Augury" href="#" target="_blank">Aminatou&#039;s Augury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are guaranteed to generate more than a card’s worth of value. These are total haymakers, especially if we time them right. My favorite, though, has to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devout Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Devout Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devout Invocation" href="#" target="_blank">Devout Invocation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can take advantage of the Faerie Dragons our commander has already made to become even more effective. The problem with these cards, of course, is that if we don't have our commander out, they sometimes rot in our hand.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The best way to mitigate this downside is by taking advantage of a variety of abilities that make spells cheaper to cast than their printed mana value. In other words, we've got more tricks up our sleeve!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clone Legion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aminatou&#039;s Augury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Devout Invocation"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prices On These Spells Are Cheaper Than They Appear</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Miracle</em> cards have inflated mana costs but will often be cast cheaper if we can manipulate the top of our library, which this deck does all the time. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terminus" href="#" target="_blank">Terminus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be a cheap board wipe in a pinch, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Walk" href="#" target="_blank">Time Walk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the top of our library.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terminus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temporal Mastery"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Delve</em> and <em>Convoke</em> also make our spells much cheaper. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Trespass" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Trespass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us access to another extra turn spell that could also make double-digit Faerie Dragons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure Cruise" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure Cruise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dig Through Time" href="#" target="_blank">Dig Through Time</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are excellent card draw spells that only get better in this deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hour of Reckoning" href="#" target="_blank">Hour of Reckoning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not only cheap, but it will also keep our board of tokens and our planeswalker commander unscathed.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Cruise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hour of Reckoning"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s ability works the same as <em>Convoke</em> with our tokens. Modal cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dusk // Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Dusk // Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, get both spells' mana values counted to equal the whole card's mana value, so they're great in this deck! This spell works especially well, as Dusk can be a one-sided board wipe in the right circumstances.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As if MDFCs did not already have enough flexibility, they really shine in this deck. They can be lands, spells, or they can be exiled to make Faerie Dragons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emeria&#039;s Call" href="#" target="_blank">Emeria&#039;s Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sea Gate Restoration" href="#" target="_blank">Sea Gate Restoration</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both have huge mana costs, but they can effectively act as an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Island" href="#" target="_blank">Island</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plains" href="#" target="_blank">Plains</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the early game.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sea Gate Restoration"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s take a look at the rest of the deck:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Scry Me A River" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Elminster
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Augury Owl
*1 Charming Prince
*1 Cryptic Annelid
*1 Curiosity Crafter
*1 Empyrean Eagle
*1 Faerie Seer
*1 Flux Channeler
*1 Monastery Mentor
*1 Sephara, Sky&#039;s Blade
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Sylvia Brightspear
*1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
*1 Thassa, God of the Sea
*1 The Reality Chip
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Archaeomancer&#039;s Map
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Midnight Clock
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sensei&#039;s Divining Top
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Aminatou&#039;s Augury
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Clone Legion
*1 Devout Invocation
*1 Dusk // Dawn
*1 Emeria&#039;s Call
*1 Hour of Reckoning
*1 Interpret the Signs
*1 Mystic Speculation
*1 Preordain
*1 Sea Gate Restoration
*1 Serum Visions
*1 Storm Herd
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Epiphany
*1 Temporal Mastery
*1 Temporal Trespass
*1 Terminus
*1 Treasure Cruise
*1 Ugin&#039;s Insight
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Behold the Multiverse
*1 Contact Other Plane
*1 Deliberate
*1 Dig Through Time
*1 Diviner&#039;s Portent
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Opt
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reality Shift
*1 Swords to Plowshares
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Favorable Winds
*1 Jace&#039;s Sanctum
*1 Netherese Puzzle-Ward
*1 Oath of Jace
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Jace, Mirror Mage
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Adarkar Wastes
*1 Castle Vantress
*1 Command Tower
*1 Deserted Beach
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Flooded Strand
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Hengegate Pathway 
*10 Island
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Nimbus Maze
*10 Plains
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Temple of Enlightenment
*1 Zhalfirin Void
[/Lands]"></span></div></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p>
<hr />
<p>Which cards do you like that scry the most at the cheapest rate? How do you plan to build around this commander? Which commander are you most excited about from <em>Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate</em>? Let me know in the comments below!</p>


terminus

Playing Legacy Miracles in Commander

Solve the Equation – Scrying Your Way to a Discount

In the Margins — Day of Judgment