Bumi, Unleashed is Land Animation Done Right

Earthbend With Toph, the Blind Bandit - Commander Deck Tech

<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haru, Hidden Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Haru, Hidden Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMitori%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art.">MITORI</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">About a month ago, when the new Katara was previewed and it was revealed that the upcoming <em>Avatar</em> set was going to feature the return of the Ally creature type, I wrote an article about the creature type and how there were finally enough to make a solid deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the interim, a large amount of cards from the <em>Avatar</em> set have been released, including more Allies. A lot more Allies. So many more, in fact, that a mono-colored Ally deck is possible, albeit with a bit of help from the Changelings.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But why would we want to play mono-colored Allies? Because it would combine my two great loves in <em>Magic</em>: Typal strategies and bouncing! I am known as the Unsummoned Skull, after all!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what does bouncing have to do with Allies? And how do we get these pieces to fit together into a cohesive strategy? The key is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haru, Hidden Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Haru, Hidden Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the centerpiece of today’s commander deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haru, Hidden Talent"></div></div>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haru, Hidden Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Haru, Hidden Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First and foremost, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haru, Hidden Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Haru, Hidden Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cheap Ally, meaning that he's easy to cast and re-cast, with or without commander tax. This means that we can drop him early to gain a trigger off of each following Ally with his second ability or use him as a curve-topper if we have an aggressive hand, triggering any Allies’ activated abilities when he comes out.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Haru’s triggered ability, alluded to earlier, lets us earthbend 1 whenever an Ally enters under our control. For a low-to-the-ground deck, this lets us go wide with come impunity, as earthbent lands return to the battlefield tapped when they die or are exiled.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Altar of Dementia"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maskwood Nexus"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In fact, were we to get really cheeky, we could opt for a combo-style finish with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Altar of Dementia" href="#" target="_blank">Altar of Dementia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maskwood Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maskwood Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The Nexus would turn our earthbent lands into Allies, then we can sacrifice them to the Altar, return them to the battlefield as Allies because they are earthbent lands, and earthbend themselves with Haru’s ability, milling our opponents out!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The question remains, however: why limit ourselves to mono-green Allies when there are so many other colors that Allies are in? There is no one answer, but it starts with the reason the last build went from five to three colors: aggressive decks can’t afford to stumble on mana. When they do, they become worse versions of the engines everyone else is running because, card-for-card, we run worse quality. The hope is that our aggression and synergy carries the day before that matters.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haru, Hidden Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Haru, Hidden Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlike other Ally commanders before him, Haru has the unique ability to go wide quickly with small creatures, simulating Elves, but doing so by animating lands and simultaneously protecting them. While Elf mana dorks are vulnerable to board wipes, earthbent lands pop right back.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overrun"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This ability to go wide with impunity means that we present a lot of damage very quickly. The problem is, our damage is on small creatures without evasion. Good thing green has a ton of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overrun" href="#" target="_blank">Overrun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. Quite a lot of them give a power boost and an evasion boost, although we do sometimes get into the tight position where we need to figure out which lands to tap for mana and which ones to leave up as attackers. As a result, the seemingly simple deck has a lot of play to it.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guardian Project"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="You Meet in a Tavern"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As an aggro deck, we tend to run out of gas. The draw spells we run bridge two different phases of our plan: some synergize with our bounce spells and some with our Overruns. Guardian Project allows us to draw when a creature enters, which we can also use to re-activate our Ally triggers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="You Meet in a Tavern" href="#" target="_blank">You Meet in a Tavern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an Overrun effect that also lets us find multiple creatures if we need more bodies to get rolling.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudstone Curio"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Sabertooth"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of bounce spells, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudstone Curio" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudstone Curio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Sabertooth" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Sabertooth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are repeatable bounce effects that let us operate as an aggro-combo deck. Most Allies have abilities that trigger when an Ally enters, including our commander, so triggering these abilities multiple times in a turn is necessary to our engine.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Tree City"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mutavault"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Faceless Haven"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soulstone Sanctuary"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our nonbasic lands provide a boost of mana, making it so we don’t have to rely as heavily on our animated lands. These include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Tree City" href="#" target="_blank">Three Tree City</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We can also sneak in a couple of extra Allies with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutavault" href="#" target="_blank">Mutavault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faceless Haven" href="#" target="_blank">Faceless Haven</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soulstone Sanctuary" href="#" target="_blank">Soulstone Sanctuary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all able to be animated as creatures with all creature types.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haru, Hidden Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Haru, Hidden Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Commander Deck Win?</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We aim to drop our commander early and expand our board with both Allies and earthbent lands before dropping an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overrun" href="#" target="_blank">Overrun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to deal massive amounts of damage. We use bounce and draw spells to avoid running out of gas before dealing the finishing blow.</span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haru, Hidden Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Haru, Hidden Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Commander Decklist</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Haru, Hidden Talent Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Haru, Hidden Talent
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Ancestral Statue
*1 Beastcaller Savant
*1 Chameleon Colossus
*1 Earthbending Student
*1 Game-Trail Changeling
*1 Gladewalker Ritualist
*1 Graypelt Hunter
*1 Guardian Gladewalker
*1 Harabaz Druid
*1 Invasive Species
*1 Joraga Bard
*1 Littjara Glade-Warden
*1 Masked Vandal
*1 Oran-Rief Survivalist
*1 Realmwalker
*1 Rebellious Captives
*1 Stickytongue Sentinel
*1 Stonework Puma
*1 Sylvan Advocate
*1 Tajuru Archer
*1 Tajuru Beastmaster
*1 Tajuru Pathwarden
*1 Tajuru Stalwart
*1 Tajuru Warcaller
*1 Temur Sabertooth
*1 Toph, the Blind Bandit
*1 Turntimber Ranger
*1 Universal Automaton
*1 Vastwood Animist
*1 Webweaver Changeling
*1 Woodland Changeling
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Become the Avalanche
*1 Fangs of Kalonia
*1 Formless Genesis
*1 Last March of the Ents
*1 Nature&#039;s Cloak
*1 Noxious Assault
*1 Overrun
*1 Overwhelming Encounter
*1 Overwhelming Stampede
*1 Preposterous Proportions
*1 Rydia&#039;s Return
*1 Storm the Seedcore
*1 Triumph of the Hordes
*1 You Meet in a Tavern
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Birthing Boughs
*1 Blood Clock
*1 Cloudstone Curio
*1 Decoction Module
*1 Dragon Mask
*1 Erratic Portal
*1 Maskwood Nexus
*1 Skullclamp
*1 The Great Henge
*1 Umbilicus
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Chord of Calling
*1 Inspiring Call
*1 Shared Summons
*1 Vitalizing Wind
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Arch of Orazca
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Faceless Haven
*30 Forest
*1 Hidden Nursery
*1 Mutavault
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Soulstone Sanctuary
*1 Three Tree City
*1 War Room
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Allies are a ton of fun as a creature type. They can oscillate between aggro, combo, and tempo, leveraging a conflux of ETB effects, building to a crescendo like a beautiful piece of music.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would you build Allies? And do you think we captured their teamwork?</span></p>


Building Ally Typal with Haru, Hidden Talent

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, the First Metalbender" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, the First Metalbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/eilenecherie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eilene Cherie</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome back to another edition of <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>! While I was going to begin this week's article on the <em>Spider-Man </em>stuff, things and stuff happened. We instead got spoilers from the <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender </em>set, and I knew I wanted to have an opportunity to build one of my favorite characters when she was spoiled.</p>
<p>That's right, we're diving into a deck helmed by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toph, the First Metalbender" href="#" target="_blank">Toph, the First Metalbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<h2>Quaking the Foundations With Toph</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toph, the First Metalbender"></div></div>
<p>Toph may be a child, but she's an absolute savage of an earthbender (in more ways than one). Born blind and in a well-off family, Toph learned her techniques from the original earthbenders, the Badger Moles. It's through them she learned to "see" via the vibrations of the land itself.</p>
<p>She partook in earthbending tournaments as the "Blind Bandit" before joining Twinkle Toes...I mean Aang and his group. She would go on to be a powerhouse in the group, and discover the ability to metalbend, striking fear in the hearts of many in the Fire Nation. Oh no, what a nightmare!</p>
<p>...Sorry.</p>
<p>Anyway, like how Toph turned earthbending on its head when she learned to metalbend, she does this on the board, too. Every nontoken artifact on our side is a land. That's going to be an important ability as it's ripe for shenanigans. She also animates lands on our end step, which helps synergize with a few other themes as well.</p>
<h2>Buried in Value</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Panharmonicon|pip|237"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Combustible Gearhulk|fic|292"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slip On the Ring"></div></div>
<p>When I was trying to find a way to approach Toph, I knew I needed a lot of artifacts. But how to use them? The answer came eventually: a blinking subtheme.</p>
<p>To that end, the decklist below will have a number of artifacts, including creatures, that do things when they come in. Cards like <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 even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solemn Simulacrum|fic|360" href="#" target="_blank">Solemn Simulacrum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> do things when they enter. In addition, they also can get earthbent by Toph because she doesn't care what artifacts we animate, just they they're not tokens.</p>
<p>Also, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Hearth and Home|ltc|354" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Hearth and Home</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can blink a creature and ramp us. Talk about value! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cybermen Squadron" href="#" target="_blank">Cybermen Squadron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows our nonlegendary artifact creatures to gain myriad, but the card gets the nod because this ability will apply to any noncreature artifacts we earthbend as well.</p>
<p>While not quite blinking, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flamerush Rider|ltc|216" href="#" target="_blank">Flamerush Rider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creates a token of another attacking creature of ours. Just remember that the token sacrifices itself during the end step.</p>
<h2>The Basics of Earthbending</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthbending Student"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthbending Lesson"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender"></div></div>
<p>To summarize what the earthbending mechanic does: We animate a land as a 0/0, putting a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the earthbending number - in Toph's case, two.</p>
<p>The key piece to the ability is that if the land would go away, it will come right back in tapped. This is something for <em>landfall</em> triggers. Firstly, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa Lockhart" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa Lockhart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gladiolus Amicitia" href="#" target="_blank">Gladiolus Amicitia</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will trigger their <em>landfall</em> abilities, so even if the board gets wiped, we won't lost any lands from it. They simply won't be animated anymore.</p>
<p>Other cards with <em>landfall</em> include both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tireless Tracker|fic|316" href="#" target="_blank">Tireless Tracker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tireless Provisioner|ltc|262" href="#" target="_blank">Tireless Provisioner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will gain value when a land comes in, be it card draw or Treasure tokens. Or Food, if we're hungry for some life. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sabotender" href="#" target="_blank">Sabotender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will ping our opponents slowly with each land drop, and is sure to become a nuisance.</p>
<p>All of this being said, there aren't many eartbending cards at the moment. The set is months away, and more support is bound to be revealed closer to release. I'm sure the number of earthbending cards in a future version of the deck list will go up. However, this is Toph, the Metalbender we're talking about here. Nontoken artifacts are lands, too. So, yeah! Let's break some rules!</p>
<h2>The Art of Metalbending</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chocobo Racetrack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashnod&#039;s Altar|sld|1679"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Canoptek Spyder"></div></div>
<p>That key line in the reminder text of the earthbending mechanic, combined with Toph, changes the ball game. Now <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chocobo Racetrack" href="#" target="_blank">Chocobo Racetrack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and other landfall cards will create a Bird if an (nontoken) artifact or land comes in. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Feast and Famine|acr|99" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Feast and Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> won't just untap lands, but also our artifacts, too.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, when we sacrifice an earthbent artifact, will give us two mana, and said artifact back, allowing us to reuse its abilities again. This is important for creatures with effects when they enter. Also, since these artifacts are historic, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bayek of Siwa" href="#" target="_blank">Bayek of Siwa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will see them gain double strike.</p>
<p>There's these implications, and more as I'll uncover later in the article. For now, let's get to the deck list.</p>
<h2>Toph, the First Metalbender Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond-Toph" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Toph, the First Metalbender
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ambrosia Whiteheart
*1 Angel of the Ruins
*1 Anger
*1 Badgermole
*1 Bayek of Siwa
*1 Bronze Guardian
*1 Bumi, Eclectic Earthbender
*1 Canoptek Scarab Swarm
*1 Canoptek Spyder
*1 Canoptek Tomb Sentinel
*1 Combustible Gearhulk
*1 Cryptothrall
*1 Cyberman Patrol
*1 Cybermen Squadron
*1 Earthbending Student
*1 Flamerush Rider
*1 Gladiolus Amicitia
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Ruin Grinder
*1 Sabotender
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Tifa Lockhart
*1 Tireless Provisioner
*1 Tireless Tracker
*1 Zell Dincht
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Chocobo Racetrack
*1 Cloudstone Curio
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Panharmonicon
*1 RMS Titanic
*1 Resurrection Orb
*1 Sculpting Steel
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine
*1 Sword of Hearth and Home
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Big Score
*1 Boros Charm
*1 Clever Concealment
*1 Crush Contraband
*1 Dispatch
*1 Entish Restoration
*1 Harrow
*1 Lifestream&#039;s Blessing
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Slip On the Ring
*1 Swords to Plowshares
*1 Ultimate Magic: Holy
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Austere Command
*1 Cleansing Nova
*1 Cultivate
*1 Earth Rumble
*1 Earthbending Lesson
*1 Farseek
*1 Hull Breach
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Wake the Past
*1 What Must Be Done
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Branching Evolution
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Clifftop Retreat
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*6 Forest
*1 Fortified Village
*1 Furycalm Snarl
*1 Game Trail
*1 Ishgard, the Holy See // Faith &amp; Grief
*1 Jungle Shrine
*6 Mountain
*1 Overgrown Farmland
*1 Path of Ancestry
*6 Plains
*1 Radiant Grove
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Sacred Peaks
*1 Sundown Pass
*1 Sunpetal Grove
*1 Wooded Ridgeline
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>More to Unearth</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyberman Patrol"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Canoptek Tomb Sentinel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Branching Evolution|pip|195"></div></div>
<p>...what's that? It's not Toph at all. It's Melon Lord! Mwahahaha!</p>
<p>*ahem* Anyway, the list has all the makings of a bizarre artifacts deck that's coupled with landfall. Normally, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harrow|40K|216" href="#" target="_blank">Harrow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have us sacrifice a land as a cost. Here? Sacrifice an earthbent artifact instead, and it'll come right back alongside the two lands we searched for.</p>
<p>Like I said earlier, we're going to need more cards with the earthbending mechanic to really make this deck tick. Nonetheless, going the blink route, I hope, is a unique angle on Toph, and Naya (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" 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>) colors as a whole.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Branching Evolution|pip|195" href="#" target="_blank">Branching Evolution</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will double up any +1/+1 counters on anything animated by earthbending. One of the spicier tech is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Canoptek Tomb Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Canoptek Tomb Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a prime target for earthbending. That way, you don't need to pay the unearth cost, but bring it back from the graveyard repeatedly!</p>
<p>With enough counters on it and other animated artifacts, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyberman Patrol" href="#" target="_blank">Cyberman Patrol</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s afflict ability will add up fast, giving our opponents a real villainous choice. Speaking of synergies...</p>
<p>Oh, an infinite combo!</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>That's the reaction we'll get when we see it. *waves hand in front of my face*</p>
<p>While there aren't any infinite combos that I'm aware of in the deck list, once we open the floodgates to in-universe cards, things really begin to shine.</p>
<h2>Bending Beyond the World</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scute Swarm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tiller Engine"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grinding Station"></div></div>
<p>Glossing over <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/toph-the-first-metalbender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toph's EDHREC page</a>, we see there's a definite slant towards combos. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grinding Station" href="#" target="_blank">Grinding Station</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an absolute menace with Toph, and will only get stronger with more earthbending cards added. We earthbend an artifact, sacrifice it to the Station for its effect, then said artifact will come right back in, untapping the Station to do it again, leading to infinite combo shenanigans.</p>
<p>Even better if it came back in untapped via the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiller Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Tiller Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spelunking" href="#" target="_blank">Spelunking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (since the artifacts will be lands again. Correct me if I'm wrong).</p>
<p>Speaking of rulings, why not give judges nightmare fuel by combining Toph with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashaya, Soul of the Wild" href="#" target="_blank">Ashaya, Soul of the Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p>We also have more landfall options to choose from. Each artifact with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scute Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Scute Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will explode that swarm into a mass. Or perhaps multiple <em>landfall</em> triggers with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avenger of Zendikar" href="#" target="_blank">Avenger of Zendikar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p>The possibilities are almost endless, and the EDHREC page will surely be a guide to help you assemble your own Toph list.</p>
<h2>Grounded, at Last</h2>
<p>The featured deck list is worlds apart from what a typical Toph deck might be running, but I hoped you liked the unique angle on it. However, before I call it for a week, there's going to be a minor change. Traditionally, I only allowed <em>Univereses Beyond</em> cards because of the unique holo stamps and borders. This put the two <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em>-related sets, <em>Adventures in the Forgotten Realms</em> and <em>Battle for Baldur's Gate</em> in a strange state of limbo. That said, the aforementioned stamps and borders are going away with the <em>Spider-Man</em> set coming out in a few weeks.</p>
<p>To that end, this allows me to lump all of <em>DnD </em>with the rest of <em>Universes Beyond</em>, since it's not canon to <em>Magic</em>. So, you can expect me to start using cards from that IP going forward. Tune in next time when we travel to New York City, and listen to a certain "menace" or sorts (I'll also have a surprise twist for this article as well).</p>
<h3>More <em>Avatar</em>:</h3>
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