<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon|sld|11" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://justinejonesillustration.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justine Jones</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome to a article new series, <em>Commander Makeover</em>, where we'll look at a commander from among the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">top 200 on EDHREC</a> that's over two years old, and pick the best cards from the last two years that should be added to their decks.</p>
<p>Our first commander of the series sits at #1, and rightfully so. It's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>The Ultimate Dragon</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p>What <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Player_type#Timmy/Tammy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timmy/Tammy</a> doesn't like to smack people with overgrown lizards? Our Commander costs a hefty nine mana, but we don't need to cast it to get value from it. This is thanks to its <em>eminence</em> ability, reducing the cost of every Dragon spell we cast by one.</p>
<p>If/when we do cast our commander, and get to swing, we draw cards and put any permanent into play. That's one heck of an ability.</p>
<p>That said, our commander was first printed nearly a decade ago in <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon#commander2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Commander 2017</em></a>, and a lot has changed since then. What cards should we be looking at then (Spoilers: One set dominates this list, and the word Dragon is part of the name)?</p>
<h2>New Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Decks</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dracogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Dracogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dracogenesis"></div></div>
<p>Our first card for this article comes from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tdm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em></a>, of which a fair few cards will make it here. There's a lot of Dragon support in the set, and Dracogenesis is no exception.</p>
<p>The ability to cast Dragons for free is a big deal, but it also non-bos with The Ur-Dragon itself. However, Dracogenesis costs eight mana, so you're not likely to cast it so quickly. Worse still, you might not even have Dragons to put down once this resolves.</p>
<p>However, it does leave mana open to interact and protect your board.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ureni of the Unwritten" href="#" target="_blank">Ureni of the Unwritten</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ureni of the Unwritten"></div></div>
<p>Wow, that's a doozy. While Dracogenesis leans more on a 50/50 side of things, Ureni is an absolute slam dunk into an Ur-Dragon deck. Sure, seven mana is a lot to pay, but we're bound to be running a heavy load of ramp anyway.</p>
<p>Also, when running enough Dragons (and we will!), we're very easily going to hit a creature that'll make the heavy initial investment worth it.</p>
<p>Ureni's also one of those cards that, if unchecked, will snowball and run away with the game, so it's very much a "kill-on-sight" card. But you'll almost always get at least one Dragon out of the ability.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twinflame Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Twinflame Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Twinflame Tyrant"></div></div>
<p>I love me a damage doubler, and Twinflame Dragon doesn't disappoint. It's one of the cheaper options, essentially costing four mana to cast with our Dragon discount. It also puts our opponents on a clock to deal with it before the damage gets out of hand.</p>
<p>Note that this doubles the damage from <em>any</em> source we control. But let's face it, it's going to be our lizards doing the talking. Dealing double damage to permanents also gives a sort of reach that Dragons could use to take out threats, but that isn't saying much since they're huge anyway.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Betor, Kin to All" href="#" target="_blank">Betor, Kin to All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Betor, Kin to All"></div></div>
<p>This inclusion might have some of you scratching your heads. Why on earth would I be including a card so famously found in toughness matters decks here? Because Dragons naturally have big stats, including toughness, so this version of Betor is bound to do some silly things here.</p>
<p>At worse, they'll draw us a card, perhaps untap our Dragons so they can block. If we get to the last mode, we'll likely be in a position to win anyway. That'll just soften up our opponents for the finishing blow.</p>
<p>It can feel win-more, but Betor's worth it for the other two abilities alone.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scavenger Regent" href="#" target="_blank">Scavenger Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scavenger Regent"></div></div>
<p>Four-drops are rare in Dragon decks, and it's always bothered me. Thankfully, this is a good one to add. The creature half isn't much, but it's the Omen half where this card shines.</p>
<p>Like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before it, this will spare our Dragons while killing off everything else. As a bonus, it gets around indestructible. That said, you may have to pay a considerable amount of mana into it for it to be effective. On the other hand, casting Exude Toxin will cause the card to get shuffled back into the deck, allowing us to cast it more than once. That is, assuming we draw into it again.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Broodcaller Scourge" href="#" target="_blank">Broodcaller Scourge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Broodcaller Scourge"></div></div>
<p>This might cost a bit of mana, but that comes with the creature type. That said, getting permanents out for (somewhat) free is huge, as the Ur-Dragon already demonstrated. As a bonus, we get a permanent out for each opponent we hit. The more damage dealt, the bigger the card we can put in.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smuggler&#039;s Surprise" href="#" target="_blank">Smuggler&#039;s Surprise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smuggler&#039;s Surprise"></div></div>
<p>I'm quite sure you're thinking what I'm thinking: It's about time we got a card that's not from <em>Tarkir Dragonstorm</em>! This card is actually very flexible in what it can do. The worst option is to pay for just the first mode. While this isn't bad, it's not ideal for our expensive Dragons.</p>
<p>The other two options are where this card shines; from there, the worst we could do is a pseudo-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Intervention|cmm|295" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Otherwise, we can dump some Dragons out, or perhaps the two we get back, should we decide to pay for the first mode (Just don't pay for that alone. That's for Graveyard decks).</p>
<p>Being instant-speed makes Smuggler's Surprise even better, not just because we can protect our board more reliably, but also get around that accursed summoning sickness our lizards will have when they enter.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Call the Spirit Dragons" href="#" target="_blank">Call the Spirit Dragons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Call the Spirit Dragons"></div></div>
<p>Let's face it: we have to be the luckiest devils in the world to pull off that win condition. Our opponents will see this coming from a trillion miles away, and will do anything they can to remove the enchantment or disrupt our board to keep us off that win condition.</p>
<p>Worst case scenario, this grants our Dragons indestructible, which does help ease our minds a bit. That said, when we're going against three other people, someone will likely have a way to remove the enchantment.</p>
<p>The key to get there faster is <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Changeling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changelings</a>. They're cheap, and they come down reliably. An Ur-Dragon deck filled with pretend-Dragons is where this card will truly make its home.</p>
<h3>The Dragonstorm Cycle from <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Encroaching Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roiling Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breaching Dragonstorm"></div></div>
<p>Each of these have an effect when they enter, then can be bounced when a Dragon comes in so we can cast it again. That said, only the ones pictured above (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Encroaching Dragonstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Encroaching Dragonstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roiling Dragonstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Roiling Dragonstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breaching Dragonstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Breaching Dragonstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) are worth running. Considering it's Dragons, it's not surprising that red got the best card in the cycle, but the green one comes quite close.</p>
<p>The card quality then drops off to Roiling Dragonstorm (we've likely got better choices for card advantage). The other two are not worth it.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frostcliff Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Frostcliff Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frostcliff Siege"></div></div>
<p>The ideal mode for Frostcliff Siege is Temur. We're likely going to have better ways to draw boatloads of cards, so we can prioritize giving haste to our creatures. Giving trample is icing on the cake, and would go a long way to soften up our opponents, making them tasty morsels.</p>
<p>To pick the Jeskai mode means you're desperate for card draw, which, if you build the deck right, should be a non-issue.</p>
<h2>Only the Beginning</h2>
<p>The way things came out, this may as well have been an article for <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em> that's almost one year overdue. Frankly, here's hoping this is just an anomaly and not the trend. That being said, none of it comes as a surprise, considering our commander.</p>
<p>The week after next will be the next installment, where we learn why Vampires suck so bad (That was a joke).</p>


Newer Cards to Give The Ur-Dragon Decks a Makeover

The Changeling Communique: Lorwyn Eclipsed Edition

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scion of the Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Scion of the Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://jimmurrayart.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Murray</a></em></p>
<p>Dragons are among the most popular creature types in Commander. But how do you play them? What are the best cards and commanders for Dragons? And how do Dragons win in Commander? This EDHREC Guide is here to answer all of these questions.</p>


<p>Throughout <em>Magic's</em> history, there have always been Dragons. Ever since <em>Alpha,</em> the skies haven't been safe and red decks had a not-so-secret weapon. Here there be Dragons, from <em>Magic</em><em>'s</em> beginning to <em>Magic's</em> end.</p>
<p>In fact, they're responsible for the formation of Commander!</p>
<p>Initially, it was an unofficial format called Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH), based around the five legendary Dragons from the <em>Legends</em> set back in the 1990s. It grew more popular with time and soon enough divorced itself from its Elder Dragon roots.</p>
<p>But Dragons continued to be prominent across future sets, being recognized as the iconic creature of the red color. They have changed to adapt to the zeitgeist of the game at any given time and are regularly some of the most powerful cards printed.</p>
<p>Despite that, they overwhelming are mid- to high-stat creatures with flying that are intended to be showstoppers. Some things never change.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Piru, the Volatile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nicol Bolas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcades Sabboth"></div></div>


<p>To put it plainly, Dragons are good! They're the iconic creature type of red for a reason. They're powerful, surprisingly flexible, and have wicked art.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Furnace Hellkite"></div></div>
<h2>Giant Flying Lizards</h2>
<p>By and large, they tend to fail the "vanilla test," but their abilities almost always compensate for this. The vanilla test is a quick assessment to judge a card's value by seeing if its power and toughness are equal to or greater than its cost.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestor Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestor Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an example of a card that fails this test. As a 5/6, it is not worth playing for six mana unless its other abilities make it worthwhile. The flying keyword helps, though it's the ability to gain life whenever your creatures attack that offsets the stat deficit.</p>
<p>So while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestor Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestor Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> wouldn't be worth playing if it had no abilities, the abilities it has make it worth including in decks where gaining life is important.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Silver Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Silver Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Dragon that passes the vanilla test. As an 8/8, that by itself would be worth considering in a deck for eight mana. Flying as a keyword yet again adds some spark to the card. But the ability to roll a d20, draw that many cards, and also have no maximum hand size?</p>
<p>Flying colors, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Silver Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Silver Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! More than worth it.</p>
<p>These two creatures really exemplify Dragons best: giant flying lizards. They're high-statted flying bricks which are begging to be thrown at your enemy. They often have additional combat effects such as trample or the ability to increase their stats. Those that don't come with other utility.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancestor Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Silver Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Incinerator of the Guilty"></div></div>
<h2>Surprisingly Tricky</h2>
<p>Not every Dragon is intended to be a magical fighter jet. And yet, even those that focus on other aspects of the game still have great stats!</p>
<p>Take <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brainstealer Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Brainstealer Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who allows you to exile the top cards of your opponents' libraries and play them. And on top of that, they lose life every time you play their cards. Or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hypersonic Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Hypersonic Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which lets you cast sorceries as if they were instants.</p>
<p>In either case, the Dragon still has decent stats. They're fliers which can deal repeated, solid damage to an opponent. But they have additional tricks to give them utility outside of a frontal assault.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brainstealer Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hypersonic Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Broodcaller Scourge"></div></div>
<h2>Whelps, Hatchlings, and Dragonkin</h2>
<p>There's quite a few low-costed Dragons that aren't proper Dragons at all. Outside of Drakes, which are a completely separate creature type, whelps, hatchlings, and various forms of dragonkin all feature to occupy the low-cost Dragon niche.</p>
<p>Most have some ability to make their low stats more worth it, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firespitter Whelp" href="#" target="_blank">Firespitter Whelp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Others like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Hatchling" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Hatchling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are just cheap Dragons that, with a bit of mana, can hold their own. And others still have some proper utility, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nadaar, Selfless Paladin" href="#" target="_blank">Nadaar, Selfless Paladin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>These creatures aren't standouts, but they're not meant to be. They're chaff that synergize with your Dragon-affinity spells and give you the breathing room to reach further down the mana curve.</p>
<p>And they do a good job with it!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firespitter Whelp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Hatchling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nadaar, Selfless Paladin"></div></div>


<p>Not every Dragon is worth including in your deck. Some are too expensive for their value while others just don't synergize well with other Dragons.</p>
<p>To be clear, Dragons don't have a single, glaring weakness. It's just that, like all creature types, they can't do everything. Only most things.</p>
<h2>You Are a Threat</h2>
<p>Somewhat temperamental based on your play group, but Dragons are one of those archetypes that has left quite a few people burned.</p>
<p>There are oppressive, game-ender Dragons out there. Two-card infinite combos. Even to a new player, seeing someone play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Earthquake Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Earthquake Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will indicate its controller is a threat.</p>
<p>And then there's Dragons that just get under players' skin, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh" href="#" target="_blank">Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>As a result, playing Dragons will mark you as a high-value target to be taken out until someone else makes a move. More experienced players won't be as inclined to assume you're the end-all be-all of the game. But with no information, Dragons are almost always a safe bet to prioritize first.</p>
<p>Dragons are not subtle. So they prevent you from playing them as such.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthquake Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund"></div></div>
<h2>You Are Vulnerable</h2>
<p>It takes quite a while for a Dragon deck to get going. It's sluggish and unresponsive, despite red's propensity for haste. Red doesn't have the sustainable mana-flow to keep up with the rapid deployment of Dragons. It certainly can grab temporary mana, but this is quite bursting and not conducive to building a board state.</p>
<p>You have your dragonkin to act as screening blockers to begin with. Once you can play a few Dragons, you'll have solid defenders that can fly.</p>
<p>But how will you deal with deathtouch? Removal? Targeting key Dragons that rarely have built-in protection? Not to mention, how you can deal with high-powered defenders or anything indestructible.</p>
<p>Most Dragons are sledgehammers. Some aren't! But not every problem can be solved by hitting it harder.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Bahamut"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ureni, the Song Unending"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossal Grave-Reaver"></div></div>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most played commander in the game</a> at the time of this guide's writing.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p>Its <em>eminence</em> ability allows your other Dragons to be cast for less, which is effectively a permanent discount of one colorless off of all your creatures. Then its second ability gives you card draw <em>and</em> playing a card for free.</p>
<p>There's a reason it's at the top of the list, even as expensive as it is. It can support any playstyle.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Not quite as regularly played as the previous commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is still a force to be reckoned with, and the most popular commander in Temur (<span class="mana-container-container"><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-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>) colors.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div></div>
<p>Already passing the vanilla test, it has a cheeky bit of protection with ward <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. But of course, that's not why you play this commander. This commander lets you create a token duplicate of every nontoken Dragon you play, ignoring the Legend Rule.</p>
<p>That is to say, you can even duplicate legendary Dragons.</p>
<p>And it doesn't require it to be from your hand, mind you. It just has to be a nontoken Dragon entering the battlefield under your control. That means any recursion from the graveyard or flickering off-of and back onto the battlefield will trigger this as well.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiamat" href="#" target="_blank">Tiamat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><em>D&amp;D</em>'s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiamat" href="#" target="_blank">Tiamat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't disappoint when it comes to her moniker: the Queen of Dragons. A five-headed monstrosity representing the different colors of evil chromatic Dragons.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tiamat"></div></div>
<p>And she's an on-par 7/7 that gets you five unique Dragons and puts them in your hand. That is horrifying to watch happen and incredible to incorporate into your deck.</p>
<p>The utility on top of her stat-line is hard to beat! Her strength relies in getting you Dragons you need, which is a very frightening thing to contend with.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rivaz of the Claw" href="#" target="_blank">Rivaz of the Claw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>Despite not being a Dragon, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rivaz of the Claw" href="#" target="_blank">Rivaz of the Claw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes fielding other Dragons cheaper and easier. Which, for a three-mana commander, isn't bad at all!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rivaz of the Claw"></div></div>
<p>The core of Rivaz is allowing you to return Dragons cheaply from your graveyard, meaning anything with an enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effect can now activate twice. Heavy hitters can come back and on-death triggers can happen again.</p>
<p>This is a great reminder that your commander doesn't always need to be your ace!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is probably the purest distillation of what most new players conceptualize a Dragon to be. She's a bit weak for her cost but flying and trample soften the blow. And she also gives double strike to all of your attacking Dragons.</p>
<p>That is <em>very</em> good given Dragons' stat-lines.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atarka, World Render"></div></div>
<p>This won't change traditional Dragon beatdown strategies. Double strike is a fantastic keyword, but it's not unbeatable. It sure is painful to deal with, though!</p>
<p>And of course, it makes her significantly harder to kill via combat while also ensuring she always hits for massive damage. She's not a bad option to try and win via commander damage!</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silumgar, the Drifting Death" href="#" target="_blank">Silumgar, the Drifting Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silumgar, the Drifting Death" href="#" target="_blank">Silumgar, the Drifting Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a quite tanky choice for a commander, focused entirely on not dying.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silumgar, the Drifting Death"></div></div>
<p>Natural hexproof is amazing to see on a commander. While its stats aren't anything impressive, seven toughness is quite a lot.</p>
<p>Then there's the main event, assigning -1/-1 to a player's board on attack. This will kill many tokens and some utility creatures, not to mention compensate for Silumgar's lacking power. It keeps your commander alive longer and helps the rest of your board advance, which is a surprisingly slick maneuver!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dromoka, the Eternal" href="#" target="_blank">Dromoka, the Eternal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dromoka, the Eternal" href="#" target="_blank">Dromoka, the Eternal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a mid-range all-rounder. A 5/5 with flying and bolster 2, Dromoka assists your frailest creatures by building them up with +1/+1 counters.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dromoka, the Eternal"></div></div>
<p>This feels slow to build, and it is! However, might I direct you to its colors, <span class="mana-container-container"><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>.</p>
<p>These are the colors that <em>thrive</em> off counters. Therefore, one more means of adding counters will snowball far quicker than you'd think.</p>
<p>So long as it isn't a token-spam deck and you're careful not to have too much chaff, you can support a strike force of incredible power with only a handful of creatures.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspeaker Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspeaker Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspeaker Shaman" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspeaker Shaman</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes your expensive creatures cheaper. That is almost never a bad thing, and with Dragons in particular, it's a necessity!</p>
<p>With red's love of impulse draw (exiling cards and being able to play them the turn they're exiled), it needs mana to capitalize on opportunities. Nothing's worse than accidentally exiling an incredible card, so marginal cost reduction adds up over time.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonlord&#039;s Servant" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonlord&#039;s Servant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another such example.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonspeaker Shaman"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlord&#039;s Servant"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a creature that loves scaling. On its own, it's a midweight Dragon that can increase its strength for mana. Nothing atypical for a Dragon, but useful nonetheless.</p>
<p>But that's not why you play the Scourge. It has an ETB it grants to all other Dragons to deal scaling damage to any target. Ironically, this disincentivizes attacking with it in favor of keeping it alive for the utility, but the mixed abilities give it great flexibility.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scourge of Valkas"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>An absolute monster, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will have your board get out of control fast. Any Dragon you control that attacks creates a 6/6 Dragon token... Which can then attack to create more Dragon tokens.</p>
<p>The fact it's a bit too expensive for its stats is inconsequential. After all, you're likely getting a handful of 6/6 tokens out of the deal. And that's before you get into other ETB effects for your Dragons!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utvara Hellkite"></div></div>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Fire Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Fire Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>There's a range of artifacts that decrease the cost of red spells and all of them are fantastic inclusions, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Fire Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Fire Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes with additional benefits. It grants haste and the ability to copy your Dragons, which can be downright oppressive depending on the boardstate.</p>
<p>Even if you have no ETB effects, getting a 6+ power creature with flying for a turn will put in work. It's mid-costed, but you're already running a high-costed deck. If anything, this feels cheap by comparison.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Fire Crystal"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fist of Suns" href="#" target="_blank">Fist of Suns</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>The <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fist of Suns" href="#" target="_blank">Fist of Suns</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> really only works with a commander like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that's already all five colors. However, strictly speaking, it's a cheaper alternative to most of your Dragons.</p>
<p>Assuming you have a means of getting mana of any color, which is a necessity for five-color decks, this is a much more convenient cost for your heavy-hitter Dragons. While situational, it can act as an alternative to other forms of cost reduction and/or if you have a subtheme in your deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fist of Suns"></div></div>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives a stacking ETB to all your Dragons, dealing progressively more damage the larger your board is. Not only does this scale with how many Dragons you have, it's also <em>any</em> target! So you can take out key creatures, deal ping damage to opponents, or reduce the loyalty of a planeswalker.</p>
<p>Then on top of that, it gives all your flying creatures haste. All for two mana!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Tempest"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dracogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Dracogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dracogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Dracogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card whose usage is entirely dependent on your opinion of its value. Eight mana to make all your Dragons free.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dracogenesis"></div></div>
<p>That effect is very powerful and intended for the late-game, and its cost reflects that. Red isn't known for its ability to protect its enchantments, so there's always the risk of investing all of your mana into an enchantment that immediately gets removed.</p>
<p>To mitigate this, make sure you have a high-costed Dragon or two in your hand, ideally exceeding eight mana in value to cover the cost. But with that contingency in place, this is an essential card for Dragon decks. Particularly if you pair it with card draw to maximize the burst potential of playing multiple Dragons at a time.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes your big creatures bigger. Your Dragons were already flying over most creatures and likely winning exchanges with those that could defend against them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crucible of Fire"></div></div>
<p>But if you can get trample? You're attacking uncontested? Perhaps you need a bit more survivability?</p>
<p>Your Dragons are simply <em>better,</em> which makes it hard not to include.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk&#039;s Uprising" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk&#039;s Uprising</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk&#039;s Uprising" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk&#039;s Uprising</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> functions similarly to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Ascendancy" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Ascendancy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, though instead of haste it grants trample. Both give you ETB card draw from your Dragons and are worthwhile inclusions if they align with your commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Garruk&#039;s Uprising"></div></div>
<p>But as an additional benefit, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk&#039;s Uprising" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk&#039;s Uprising</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also lets you draw a card immediately if you meet its conditions, paying for itself. Though any enchantment that grants card draw based on your creatures' power will get the job done!</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the potential to wipe out your Dragons, certainly. But as board wipes go, being able to remove every creature other than your own is a pretty good deal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crux of Fate"></div></div>
<p>It's fairly expensive, but that just means you'll wait until later in the game to cast it. Which, of course, is after you can establish your board presence with some expensive Dragons and capitalize on the empty board.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>There isn't much to say about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>You're running Dragons? Put it in your deck! It's a relatively cheap way to ensure you get the Dragon you need into your hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph"></div></div>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fearsome Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Fearsome Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fearsome Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Fearsome Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives you some fairly expensive recursion. However, it strengthens your Dragons. You're already running an expensive deck, so relying on this really is a gamble.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fearsome Awakening"></div></div>
<p>However, a fair few cards give your Dragons ETBs. You get to trigger those, have a powerful creature that's now even more powerful, potentially with haste?</p>
<p>Suddenly, it's worth it.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan Unbroken" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan Unbroken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan Unbroken" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan Unbroken</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a staggeringly good suite of abilities for a Dragon deck. Draw a card and gain mana? That's utility in a deck that is starved for it. Get a 4/4 flying red Dragon token? More creatures that scale with your enchantments and abilities!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan Unbroken"></div></div>
<p>Search your library for <em>any</em> number of Dragons and put them onto the battlefield? Now that's just a win condition.</p>
<p>Just keep in mind that Dragons don't have many built-in protections. You may be able to give them all haste, but make sure they don't fall victim to a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just to be discarded down to your hand limit at turn's end.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sivitri, Dragon Master" href="#" target="_blank">Sivitri, Dragon Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sivitri, Dragon Master" href="#" target="_blank">Sivitri, Dragon Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> offers some protection in the form of taxing attacking creatures, though this won't be very useful to you once you have your Dragons set up. It certainly can give you the flexibility to not worry about leaving blockers, meaning you can go all-out on the offense, though that's not why you run her.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sivitri, Dragon Master"></div></div>
<p>Tutoring Dragons and destroying all non-Dragons, those are what we want. The protection is, at best, a niche "nice to have." You'll have to work to get that board wipe, and that's not always what your goal should be.</p>
<p>A board wipe is scary, meaning your opponents may target Sivitri. That means paying her tax and exposing themselves. Depending on the experience of your group, that may be even more valuable.</p>
<p>Or they just hit her with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero&#039;s Downfall" href="#" target="_blank">Hero&#039;s Downfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>; can't help that.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan the Masterless" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan the Masterless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan the Masterless" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan the Masterless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is more of a gimmick inclusion, though certainly not useless. His passive is the real star, dealing damage to creatures attacking you equal to your number of Dragons. Which, in all likelihood, will be more than a handful.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan the Masterless"></div></div>
<p>That removes the threat of low-power creatures that can't be blocked and whittles down giant stat-lines which could normally tank your Dragons.</p>
<p>Sarkhan's ability to convert your planeswalkers to 4/4 flying Dragons is fine, it's not the reason you'd run him. And creating a single 4/4 Dragon for over half his starting loyalty is simply not worth it.</p>
<p>But if you're running Superfriends, an archetype oriented around including many planeswalkers, he's not the worst inclusion!</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of the Spirit Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of the Spirit Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of the Spirit Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of the Spirit Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't initially seem to be very useful, given it's a 1:1 trade of mana. But in multicolored Dragon decks, and particularly with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it's exactly the flexibility you'll need to pivot between Dragons.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crucible of the Spirit Dragon"></div></div>
<p>It's slow and requires you build it up over time, which luckily you'll probably have at least a single mana remaining at the end of each turn to spend on it. In its least convenient, you're effectively saving mana between turns, which is never a bad thing.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena of Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Arena of Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena of Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Arena of Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets you push forward more active aggression, assuming you're managing to keep up with your Dragons' costs. It allows you to spend a mana and exert it to gain two mana and give haste to a creature spell you cast with it. Exerting a permanent means its doesn't untap during your next untap step.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arena of Glory"></div></div>
<p>There's plenty of removal in commander, so it makes sense that your big, scary creatures are going to be targeted with them. After all, few other archetypes can effectively fight Dragons directly. So haste is just one more way to get value from them before they're removed.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Wolf Run" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Wolf Run</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kessig Wolf Run" href="#" target="_blank">Kessig Wolf Run</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives a creature trample for a turn. Certainly, it makes them stronger, but Dragons can be shut out by any chump-blocker with flying or reach.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kessig Wolf Run"></div></div>
<p>This not only enhances their power but gives them the ability to hit through that. Which, with high-powered cards like Dragons, is really useful!</p>


<p>Dragons love flying up to your opponents and reducing their life to 0. They also love dealing 21 commander damage.</p>
<p>When running a Dragon deck, you can really take your pick!</p>
<p>Their big stats and flying gives them great positions to accomplish this, with their largest obstacle really just being the speed at which they can accomplish it. Very few opponents won't respond to your slowly-building draconic ranks with removal or blockers of their own.</p>
<p>But if you're able to defend your board and continue the attack, you will be able to simply wear down opponents directly.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chaos Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ganax, Astral Hunter"></div></div>


<p>Perhaps the most famous Dragon-related infinite combo is Niv-Mizzet dealing damage when you draw a card and multiple enchantments allowing you to draw a card when dealing damage. There are multiple variations of this combination on both the creature and enchantment front, but the core principle is the same.</p>
<p>As a two-card infinite combo, this is restricted to higher brackets and won't see much casual play. Further, it's such a well-known strategy that any attempt to play its components will likely lead to them being shut down.</p>
<p>However, so long as you have cards to draw you have ammo to fuel Niv-Mizzet's fire! So fire away.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Niv-Mizzet, Parun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curiosity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind"></div></div>


Dragons in Commander

EDHREC Guide to Dragons in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Illustrated by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJaime+Jones%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaime Jones</a></em></p>
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<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>Am I the Bolas</em>?</p>
<p>This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some <em>Magic </em>and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"</p>
<p>I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a></p>
<p>I'm Mike Carrozza, the guy who's checking his watch riding this thing to space.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Eternity Elevator"></div></div>
<p><em>"The '8' button looks side-ways, but it should still work - what's taking so long???"</em></p>
<p>This week - Fine, I'll do it.</p>
<p>(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)</p>
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<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
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<p><em>Hi Mike, I've been playing Magic: The Gathering for a while now, but I've only recently discovered your amazing article series. I have been a fan ever since.</em></p>
<p><em>Here is my story:</em><br />
<em>I am often found at my local game store on Friday nights, playing Commander with my group of friends. One night, I had decided to swap decks with my friend James. He was playing my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caesar, Legion&#039;s Emperor" href="#" target="_blank">Caesar, Legion&#039;s Emperor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens build, and I was playing his 100-dollar budget <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xyris, the Writhing Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Xyris, the Writhing Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> spellslinger Voltron deck. </em></p>
<p><em>My other friend, Finn, was playing with us that night and was playing his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck that was vastly more upgraded with staples and game changers than either of James' or I's decks. (We knew this beforehand due to playing against the deck multiple times earlier that day.) He was playing cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and other powerful cards, while neither of our decks featured anything of the like. During the previous games we played, James and I had used the vast majority of our suites of removal to deal with some of Finn's scary Dragons. </em></p>
<p><em>In this game, however, Finn was being mana-flooded and was often simply playing a land and passing while James and I were building out our respective boards. On turn 6, Finn played an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Explosive Vegetation" href="#" target="_blank">Explosive Vegetation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and the following turn, played his commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I then used the cost reduction from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being green to cast an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oakhame Adversary" href="#" target="_blank">Oakhame Adversary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for only two mana on the following turn. When it came to James' turn, he cast a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transmogrifying Wand" href="#" target="_blank">Transmogrifying Wand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and Finn immediately began to argue that he should not use it to kill <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because we had been doing that all day, and he wanted to put something cool into play. He managed to convince James against killing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and instead, James targeted my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oakhame Adversary" href="#" target="_blank">Oakhame Adversary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transmogrifying Wand" href="#" target="_blank">Transmogrifying Wand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </em></p>
<p><em>This whole time, I had had a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vines of Vastwood" href="#" target="_blank">Vines of Vastwood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in my hand with two green mana open. After thinking for a while, I opted to instead cast the Thrash side of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrash // Threat" href="#" target="_blank">Thrash // Threat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> targeting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because I was scared of what Finn could put into play on the next turn. Instead of just letting his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> die, he decided to scoop and said angrily that he was going to find another pod.</em></p>
<p><strong><em>So was I the Bolas for targeting his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with my removal, or was he the Bolas for scooping to it?</em></strong></p>
<p><em>Best,</em><br />
<em>Removal Run-in</em></p>
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<h2>VERDICT</h2>
<p>Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the most popular commander according to EDHREC at the time of writing and is famously really strong considering it's a reduction for all your Dragons cards without even ever needing to play it from the command zone. Pair that with the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changers</a> mentioned and it sounds like we've got a Bracket 3 minimum here.</p>
<p>No shade to you and James, but it sounds like your decks don't meet the same level as Finn's Dragon deck.</p>
<p>I mean, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Transmogrifying Wand" href="#" target="_blank">Transmogrifying Wand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a sweet card, but it's often relegated to colorless Commander decks or theme decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher" href="#" target="_blank">Bruse Tarl, Roving Rancher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's in your Mardu token deck, so the theme of tokens remains, but these colors are famously so good at removing things with the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vindicate" href="#" target="_blank">Vindicate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utter End" href="#" target="_blank">Utter End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anguished Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Anguished Unmaking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, among many, many others. The Wand is in over <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/transmogrifying-wand#cardlists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">15k decks according to EDHREC</a>. It's not a bad card, but it's one that I'd personally leave off my lists as I would consider it outclassed in many cases.</p>
<p>This is an indicator to me that we're looking at this deck and James' deck as likely Bracket 1 or 2. So with Finn's deck automatically a Bracket 3, we already have an interesting discussion when players engage in inter-Bracket games and the inherent biases therein.</p>
<p>Bracket bias aside, you've got experience against this deck and have talked about how you and James both had to expend all of your removal on Finn's deck in previous games. Lucky break in this game since Finn's been mana flooded the whole time and this allowed you and James to actually set up your boards without having to spend your turns to remove more of Finn's pieces.</p>
<p>Finn playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> after ramping into it and being flooded the whole game isn't as scary on its own. But consider that, with all the ramp and mana being available to him next turn, the big Dragon's attack trigger, plus the likelihood of Finn drawing something he can play next turn, on top of the dwindling number of lands left in his deck - leaving this creature alone can't benefit you for too long.</p>
<p>You can probably buy some good will by letting it stick, which means it's going to hit the only other direction available...for now.</p>
<p>James was asked not to remove the Dragon. By not removing Finn's commander, James is probably hoping to have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> swing your way and buy him some time. Personally, if my opponent played a nine-mana Dragon that can draw cards and put permanents into play for free, if I had the means to remove it, I'd probably do that. James being convinced to let Finn have the Dragon is either a way to try to curry favor with the more powerful player to get them off his back or someone opting to allow a player to have their fun.</p>
<p>The guilt (for the lack of a better word) of having removed most things from Finn's board over the course of the evening coupled with Finn's mana flooding this game may have influenced James in his Wand targeting. Not to mention the outright request of allowing Finn to let <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s trigger to go off, I think I'll stick with "guilt" being the right word here. That said, I'm not sure why he decided to use it on your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oakhame Adversary" href="#" target="_blank">Oakhame Adversary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but okie dokie.</p>
<p>You were pushed to react. Rather than saving the Adversary, you made the decision to keep the player with the biggest threat in check. In terms of gameplay, you identified that your opponents have struck an agreement and you had something you could do about it. Are you playing to win? Yeah? Then great job, this is the right move. Way to go. If this had been a pattern in previous games and Finn had not spent those games dropping card after card on board, maybe there'd be an element of "let him have a <em>little</em> fun," but Finn's fun was had those other games, I'm sure, and maybe his fun meant that you spent your games having to remove his stuff instead of getting to have your fun, right?</p>
<p>Requesting that your opponents let you get your attack trigger off because they "kept killing" your commander in other games is basically dropping the conceit of there being a win on the line. If you oblige, then the game's win gets an asterisk of "if I had killed it like I wanted to." If that's the game you're playing, by all means, go for it, but that discussion was had with James and not you RRI, so you're perfectly justified in your decision.</p>
<p>However, you had a way to protect the Adversary and you could have used the Thrash after letting Finn get his big trigger. The verdict isn't straightforward. I don't think you're the Bolas because if you were playing to win, your threat assessment is correct. You still had the ability to be lenient and then nip that in the bud with a delay, but ultimately, if the win is important to you, then this isn't the way.</p>
<p>If you had decided to let it slide, this would have been fine, too. I don't think Finn scooping and leaving is great, but also it's fair. I don't blame Finn for wanting to find a game that'll match his power level. Furthermore, I think he'd benefit from a full pod, like you all would.</p>
<p>I guess the verdict really depends on how I'm feeling because I could lean either way and, when reading this submission a few times leading up to writing this, I'd had strong feelings in both directions. Today, I'm thinking not the Bolas.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Transmogrifying Wand"></div></div>


Am I The Bolas? - Fine, I'll Do It, Then

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Grand Unifier" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Grand Unifier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/martanael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marta Nael</a></em></p>
<p>The problem with eternal formats is that they're, well, eternal. Outside of bans for cards that break the format, as soon as a <em>Magic</em> card is printed, you can play it in Commander. And you can play that card in Commander forever.</p>
<p>Now this is of course one of the appeals of the format. There are many beloved cards that have lost their playability as they've been rotated out of Standard or power crept out of longer formats like Modern. And those cards are special to a lot of players. They're filled with joyful memories of pro tour victories or janky decks brought to weeklies that punched above their weight.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tenacious Underdog"></div></div>
<p>It's great that these deckless cards can find a home in the game's most popular format. And that also goes for all those super cool designs that just didn't quite make a splash in more competitive formats.</p>
<p>Super flavorful bombs that were just a bit too expensive. Super niche strategies that didn't have enough of a payoff in their environments. They can all find a purpose at the helm of a Commander deck. Or in their 99.</p>
<p>But eternal formats are eternal. And cards never go out of rotation. For every fun and flavorful include you want to slot into your deck, there's an outrageously powerful alternative. Staples that just outperform their peers in almost every situation. Cards that are just begging to be played and may never be topped. And, save for a ban, they won't ever leave the format.</p>
<h2>Ubiquitous Commanders</h2>
<p>There's a similar situation with the commanders that helm a good chunk of the decks in the format.</p>
<p>Legendary creatures can be popular as a commander for a multitude of reasons. It could be that they're a really flavorful champion for your favorite creature type. They could be the only option for certain archetypes in the color identity you want to play.</p>
<p>But let's be honest. Most of the top 100 commanders on EDHREC are there because of their overwhelming strength.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edgar Markov"></div></div>
<p>You only need to look at the current top three to see just how powerful the most popular commanders are. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might as well be the boogie-men of the entire format. Two of them are sporting <em>eminence</em>, one of the most busted keywords ever printed on a legendary creature.</p>
<h3>Tantalizing Power</h3>
<p>The fact is, players are drawn to powerful decks. They want the cards in their hand to do as much as possible for as little investment as possible. And the same obviously goes for the creature leading your deck. There's nothing inherently wrong with that fact, of course. If you want to play high power games, there's no reason you shouldn't.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overrun"></div></div>
<p>The problem lies with the homogenization of the format as a result. I'm sure we've all seen <em>Magic's </em>most recent top eight where every deck present was one of two versions of playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monstrous Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Monstrous Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's an overwhelmingly powerful card and it almost demands you play it. As a result, it made up half of the decks present at the tournament, and the entirety of the top eight.</p>
<p>I'm sure we've also heard the same protestations from an opponent at our table that cries, "No don't worry, this isn't like other Atraxa decks! I promise!"</p>
<h2>From Commanders to Legends</h2>
<p>So what would happen in a world where the top 100 commanders of the format were banned from play? What if when a commander became too ubiquitous, it was removed from the format? It might seem a little far fetched, but there is actually already a precedent in one of <em>Magic's </em>competitors.</p>
<p>In <em>Flesh and Blood</em>, there's a Commander-like hero system in play in all formats. In the fiction of the game, you aren't controlling legions of soldiers and dragons, but instead a single character. Which means no matter if it's competitive or casual, you'll have a commander at the helm of your deck. And of course, some of these characters are stronger than others.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flesh Duplicate"></div></div>
<p>But the system in which <em>Flesh and Blood </em>deals with that is an interesting counterpart to <em>Magic </em>due to something called the <em>Living Legend</em> system. The long and short of it is, whenever a hero receives a competitive victory at an official tournament, they receive points. Winning their World Championship with one hero for example, would net that hero 100 points. And that's for everyone playing that hero, it doesn't matter who wins with them.</p>
<p>Once a hero hits the threshold of 1000 points, they'll reach what's called <em>Living Legend</em> status. Essentially, they'll be immortalized as being really bloody good and then removed entirely from standard competitive play.</p>
<h2>So What About Commander?</h2>
<p>So would a feature like this work in Commander? If a deck became too heavily played we either shelved the commander or put them into a separate format? But most importantly, what would happen to the format if that were the case? Would it be a change for the better? Or go against everything Commander stands for?</p>
<p>For one, the players of the most powerful decks would need to find an alternative. If their commander is no longer legal, they'll have to find a replacement or switch decks entirely.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathril, Blade of the Elves"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chatterfang, Squirrel General"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div></div>
<p>One positive of this fantasy world we're imagining is that typal decks, one of the most popular archetypes in Commander where you build around a single creature type, might get a good shakeup. A lot of the creature types in <em>Magic</em> have a default best option to lead their charge.</p>
<h3>Driving Players Nuts</h3>
<p>It shouldn't be hard to figure out which type <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chatterfang, Squirrel General" href="#" target="_blank">Chatterfang, Squirrel General</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is often played at the helm of. But it is quite hard to justify anyone else in his place as he gives you so much value for playing Squirrel-based strategies. At the time of writing there's just under 20k Chatterfang decks registered on EDHREC.</p>
<p>But despite coming from a set released last year that dedicated a fifth of its card collection to Squirrel typal, Bloomburrow commander <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Camellia, the Seedmiser" href="#" target="_blank">Camellia, the Seedmiser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sees only 3.5k players.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Camellia, the Seedmiser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hazel of the Rootbloom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Odd Acorn Gang"></div></div>
<p>You do have to wonder how many people might have built her, or some of the other Squirrel options, if Chatterfang weren't such an obvious, go-to option.</p>
<h3>Scaling Impossible Odds</h3>
<p>By far the most popular creature type in all of <em>Magic </em>is the fantasy staple of Dragons. There's a whopping 65,322 Dragon Commander decks on this website at the time of writing. But half of those decks play the same two commanders:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div></div>
<p>And both of those commanders are in the top 100 across the format. Imagine the increase in diversity of Commander decks as a whole if all those players started branching out into different commanders because we all just admitted that maybe <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been figured out already.</p>
<p>And imagine all of the cool commanders that don't see much play which might get a second chance?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zurgo and Ojutai"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rith, Liberated Primeval"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Klauth, Unrivaled Ancient"></div></div>
<h3>Goblin' Up the Competition</h3>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another big offender in this region. And he represents a double problem as not just a Goblin commander but also propping up pretty much any strategy that asks for token spamming. He's just one of the most efficient ways in the format to dump a load of creatures on the board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div></div>
<p>Looking at Goblin commanders specifically, Krenko is a ridiculous 16k decks ahead of the second place commander. If a new legendary Goblin is printed into the card pool, unless it can serve in Krenko's 99, it basically doesn't ever get a look in.</p>
<h2>Gone But Not Forgotten</h2>
<p>It's worth pointing out that <em>Flesh and Blood</em> heroes aren't just dead forever as soon as they become too powerful. They're essentially moved to a different format where players can continue to battle with and against the most powerful heroes of all time. I'm not much of a <em>Flesh and Blood</em> player myself, but I assume it's sort of like playing Vintage in <em>MTG</em>. A format full of crazy powerful cards with massive amounts of history and prestige.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crypt of the Eternals"></div></div>
<p>One of the potential, less disruptive, paths for a move like this from <em>Wizards of the Coast </em>would be to consider adding overplayed and overpowered commanders to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changers</a> list. In fact, three of the top 100 most popular commanders are already on the list: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Lord High Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Lord High Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Urza, Lord High Artificer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy"></div></div>
<p>These cards can have an absolutely devastating effect on the balance of a Commander game when they're piloted correctly. Sometimes more suited to cEDH than regular old Commander, they've been rightfully added to the list. But you have to wonder how many other legends in the top 100 could arguably be given the same treatment.</p>
<p>Is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a Game Changer? How about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Magda, Brazen Outlaw" href="#" target="_blank">Magda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? She's one of the most popular commanders in cEDH!</p>
<h2>We Can But Dream</h2>
<p>This is all of course, speculation. And I'm not even sure I would want commanders to be banned outright. EDH is the format of choice of course, and a healthy discussion at the table can lead to a wonderful world where everyone gets to play <em>Magic </em>in the way they want.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrath of God"></div></div>
<p>But I do think it's an interesting thing to imagine, and something we could maybe find a healthy middle ground for in the future. If the top 100 commanders in the format were banned tomorrow, how many of your decks would go missing? Or would you be safe?</p>
<p>And if you had to replace your affected commanders, what legends would you reach for instead?</p>
<p>We often talk about the health of other formats ad nauseam, but how often do you consider the "health" of EDH?</p>
<p>Regardless, whoever you have sat in the command zone, there's nothing like a little self reflection. Let me know your thoughts on this hypothetical in the comments below!</p>
<p></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="rodxEtjL1O"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/which-magic-planes-should-we-revisit-next-part-2/">Which Magic Planes Should We Revisit Next? Part 2</a></p></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="REabKL1lnf"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-philosophy-game-winners-vs-game-changers/">Commander Philosophy - Game Winners vs. Game Changers</a></p></blockquote>
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What Would Happen If We Retired the Most Popular Commanders?

<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artpad.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaime Jones</a> | <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://victoradameart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victor Adame Minguez</a></em></span></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been the #1 commander for YEARS... and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just snatched her crown. How'd it happen? Will it stick? And is there a hella awesome bunch of behind-the-scenes data about it? Check out the vid below <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_PLuzLmfDE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">or on YouTube</a> to find all the answers.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Did the #1 Commander Just Get Usurped? | Magic: the Gathering | EDH Commander" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v_PLuzLmfDE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>


Is There a New #1 Commander?

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon Tempest|c17|134" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by Willian Murai</em></p>
<p><em>Magic</em> is a complicated game; Commander, as a format, is especially so. When it comes to building decks, one of the easier on-ramps is to appeal to the familiar: start with cards that are designed to work with each other, that reference each other by name, and get a feel for how they play together. That’s the premise of this column; each week we build a deck around a creature type, which delivers on the “feel” of the type. Today, we’re talking about one of the more notorious creature types in all of <em>Magic</em>: Dragons.</p>
<p>According to the EDHREC stats, <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/kindred" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dragons are the most popular creature type</a>, with almost 73,000 decks built. They've been part of <em>Magic</em> since the beginning, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shivan Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Shivan Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as one of the more iconic early game finishers. More recently, there have been a few preconstructed decks providing specific support, as well as two <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em> sets, and a new Dragon-focused Tarkir set. It seems like Dragons are all over the multiverse, with each set adding to their ranks. While more than twice as many Dragons are in red as any other color, each color has solid representation, and our deck will highlight the full range of the type.</p>
<h2>Notable Dragons</h2>
<p>As mentioned, there have been a few Dragon-themed Commander decks, one of which supplied the second most-popular commander of all time: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <em>Eminence</em> is one of the strongest abilities in the game, operating from the command zone as long as our commander is there. Thankfully the ability is limited to typal decks, but our commander might just be the strongest of the lot, providing access to all five colors from its color identity and a universal cost reduction from its <em>eminence</em> ability. Even if we never cast it, that is a <em>ton</em> of value.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scavenger Regent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atarka, World Render"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silumgar, the Drifting Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dromoka, the Eternal"></div></div></p>
<p>The first trip to Tarkir provided a cycle of legendary Dragons that all trigger when a Dragon attacks. These abilities can trigger multiple times and they can stack, causing our flying horde to become deadlier and deadlier the more Dragons we have. This is where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> outshines other Dragon commanders: the discount lets us cast multiple spells in a turn, dominating the mid- to late-game.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ojutai, Soul of Winter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teneb, the Harvester"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bladewing the Risen"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrakkus the Butcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Steel Hellkite"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of Valkas" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of Valkas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> help the deck hit the ground running. Kolaghan provides haste while Scourge deals damage when Dragons enter, so the Dragons can do more than sit there menacingly - although they do that quite well.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ganax, Astral Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scourge of Valkas"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Korlessa, Scale Singer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lathliss, Dragon Queen"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloomvine Regent" href="#" target="_blank">Bloomvine Regent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> represents a new type of Dragon introduced in the latest foray into Tarkir: the Omens. With its secondary sorcery side, the Regent is able to be an early-game <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a late-game Dragon, all in one card. Since we want both effects, it’s a natural fit!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sunscorch Regent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rith, Liberated Primeval"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Utvara Hellkite"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthquake Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloomvine Regent"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Amareth, the Lustrous" href="#" target="_blank">Amareth, the Lustrous</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unassuming but powerful Dragon. Since the deck is mostly permanents, including the Omen Dragons, there’s a strong likelihood of flipping more giant scaly beasties with the ETB effect.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sagu Wildling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlord Ojutai"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunderbreak Regent"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Amareth, the Lustrous"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Broodmate Dragon"></div></div></p>
<p>One of the stronger <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em> additions was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy" href="#" target="_blank">Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is one of several other potent Dragon commanders, albeit without the speed or options that The Ur-Dragon provides. As a role-player, however, Lozhan slings damage and domes opponents for huge chunks.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scalelord Reckoner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeskai Shrinekeeper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonlord Dromoka"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wasitora, Nekoru Queen"></div></div></p>
<h2>Dragon Support Cards</h2>
<p>As a popular creature type, there are many cards that specifically reference Dragons. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Fire" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Fire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is arguably the most on-the-nose. Making giant scaly monsters slightly giant-er may seem like it’s not doing much, but it’s actually quite solid in a deck that wants permanents and seeks to blot out the skies with flyers before opponents can stabilize.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Encroaching Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breaching Dragonstorm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crucible of Fire"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon Tempest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Draconic Muralists"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Dragon tutor, which helps multifaceted decks like this find the piece they need when they need it. While some decks use tutors to find specific answers, we actually use it to find specific threats: haste enablers, direct damage, flying power…all of these are things we can find.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrathful Red Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Firespitter Whelp"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonologist"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Ascendancy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph"></div></div></p>
<h2>Ramp Spells for Dragons</h2>
<p>Our primary role players are ramp spells. Dragons cost a lot of mana and we need fixing to cast them on time. In particular, the Orbs of Dragonkind provide additional effects when used to cast Dragons, which plan to do kind of a lot.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonstorm Globe"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Hoard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jade Orb of Dragonkind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lapis Orb of Dragonkind"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit of a controversial inclusion nowadays, as there are far stronger turn-three plays. Here, however, it’s much more than a three-mana rock; it fixes our mana and lets us use lands of any kind to make mana of any color.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromatic Lantern"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Signet"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fellwar Stone"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonbroods&#039; Relic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pillar of Origins"></div></div></p>
<h2>Removal Spells</h2>
<p>The other type of role player we need is removal spells: ways to break parity and navigate clogged boards. One of our biggest obstacles is high-toughness, vigilant creatures, such as those created by Voltron decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crux of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Crux of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a one-sided board wipe (choosing non-Dragons to kill, of course), which is a particularly nasty way of leveraging our large flyers for a dominating board.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crux of Fate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Disruptive Stormbrood"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Twinmaw Stormbrood"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spit Flame"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragon&#039;s Fire"></div></div></p>
<p>The other major obstacle for us is troublesome noncreature permanents. Our attack with large creatures plan can be stuffed by a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or two, and our burn ‘em out plan can be squelched by a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Sanctity" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Sanctity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are solid catch-alls, which have the downside of giving the opponent a body. However, that downside is mitigated by the fact that the bodies we give don’t have flying!</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Osseous Exhale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Within"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Gift"></div></div><br />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Piercing Exhale"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dragonback Assault"></div></div></p>
<h2>The Ur-Dragon Deck List</h2>
<p>The game plan for our deck is fairly straightforward: make big Dragons; turn them sideways; win the game. We have ways, including our commander, to get them out faster, and ways to push them through using removal, until our opponents are buried in the shade of our scaly wings.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Ur-Dragon Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Ur-Dragon
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Amareth, the Lustrous
*1 Atarka, World Render
*1 Bladewing the Risen
*1 Bloomvine Regent // Claim Territory
*1 Broodmate Dragon
*1 Disruptive Stormbrood // Petty Revenge
*1 Draconic Muralists
*1 Dragonlord Dromoka
*1 Dragonlord Ojutai
*1 Dragonologist
*1 Dromoka, the Eternal
*1 Earthquake Dragon
*1 Firespitter Whelp
*1 Ganax, Astral Hunter
*1 Jeskai Shrinekeeper
*1 Kolaghan, the Storm&#039;s Fury
*1 Korlessa, Scale Singer
*1 Lathliss, Dragon Queen
*1 Lozhan, Dragons&#039; Legacy
*1 Ojutai, Soul of Winter
*1 Rith, Liberated Primeval
*1 Sagu Wildling // Roost Seek
*1 Scalelord Reckoner
*1 Scavenger Regent // Exude Toxin
*1 Scourge of Valkas
*1 Silumgar, the Drifting Death
*1 Steel Hellkite
*1 Sunscorch Regent
*1 Teneb, the Harvester
*1 Thrakkus the Butcher
*1 Thunderbreak Regent
*1 Twinmaw Stormbrood // Charring Bite
*1 Utvara Hellkite
*1 Wasitora, Nekoru Queen
*1 Wrathful Red Dragon
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Breaching Dragonstorm
*1 Crucible of Fire
*1 Dragon Tempest
*1 Dragonback Assault
*1 Encroaching Dragonstorm
*1 Temur Ascendancy
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Dragon&#039;s Fire
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Osseous Exhale
*1 Piercing Exhale
*1 Sarkhan&#039;s Triumph
*1 Spit Flame
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Dragon&#039;s Hoard
*1 Dragonbroods&#039; Relic
*1 Dragonstorm Globe
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Jade Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Lapis Orb of Dragonkind
*1 Pillar of Origins
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Crux of Fate
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*8 Forest
*8 Island
*8 Mountain
*8 Plains
*8 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>


ur dragon