<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valko Indorian" href="#" target="_blank">Valko Indorian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by Paolo Parente</span></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When <em>Mystery Booster Commander Edition</em> was announced, a number of incredible and risky designs were revealed. None caused as much discourse as those with the rulebreaker ability, however.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week, we’re looking at a creature type that breaks the rules of <em>Magic</em> and shattered the Multiverse on multiple occasions. They almost conquered the Multiverse, and the repercussions of their invasion are still being felt.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you guessed it? It’s Phyrexians!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Phyrexians are one of the original big bads of <em>Magic</em> lore. While it had been established that most beings were anchored to their home plane, outside of a few individuals, the Phyrexians managed to not only discover multiversal travel, but to take their entire plane with them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even after they were defeated the first time, the Phyrexians made like Cell and Buu in <em>Dragon Ball Z</em> and regenerated from a drop of oil to take over Mirrodin and make it New Phyrexia. They then used that as a base of operations to launch a full-scale multiplanar invasion that took an incredible combination of forces to defeat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And, even now, New Phyrexia remains, jettisoned into the Blind Eternities to return when the plot demands it.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Grand Unifier"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All Will Be One"></div></div>
<h2><b>Phyrexian History</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Phyrexia has been a part of <em>Magic</em> lore for about as long as <em>Magic</em> has had lore, going all the way back to the corruption of Urza’s brother, Mishra. Originally, they took over and corrupted their home plane, but, as planeswalkers happened upon their de facto homeworld, they used their oil to spread.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This oil has been reflected in poison counters, which are lethal to planeswalkers like the ones players role-play as, as well as oil counters in the multiplanar invasion. Both of these synergize with proliferate effects.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But these are small beans. If this was all Phyrexians aspired to, they wouldn’t be the feared force they are.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">No, Phyrexians have incredible power. It starts with their leadership, the Praetors. Elesh Norn’s various incarnations wreck games, and Sheoldred is a name even Standard players fear.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But their leadership isn’t the only powerhouse in the Phyrexian arsenal. Phyrexian oil corrupts, and Phyrexians not only provide their own powerhouses to new planes, they also turn the powerhouses of the plane itself against its own denizens.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we bring these elements together? And what does Valko bring to the table?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valko Indorian"></div></div>
<h2><b>What Does Valko Indorian Do?</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To be frank, I had to look up what Valko’s rulebreaker ability did. It doesn’t help that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tolabow, Loch Rascal" href="#" target="_blank">Tolabow, Loch Rascal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has already received errata, which shows that the ability is not entirely intuitive.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what is that ability?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To start with, Valko is considered to have a color identity of mono-black because it only has black pips in its mana cost and no other pips exist anywhere on the card. As a result, we should only be able to use black or colorless spells and lands that are within the monoblack color identity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So why don’t we just go with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Well, the rulebreaker ability gives Valko commander decks the ability to use Phyrexian cards of any color identity. The rest of the deck needs to follow the mono-black identity, however, so we can’t use the guild signets or even Arcane Signet for mana fixing. We can also use any basic lands we want, but, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Command Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will only make black mana.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While rulebreaker increases the number of playable Phyrexians we have, it’s not the only benefit Valko provides. Valko also gives our Phyrexians menace and lifelink, making them difficult to block and to race properly.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After all, you can’t expect a multiversal menace to play fair.</span></p>
<h2><b>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valko Indorian" href="#" target="_blank">Valko Indorian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since Valko is a thematic commander from a thematic set, we’re going to build a strongly thematic deck. This is a Phyrexian deck, through and through, so we will be using cards that either are Phyrexians or have Phyrexian in the name. We will still try to do the jobs of a regular deck, however.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plague Myr"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Belbe, Corrupted Observer"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For ramp, we’re using primarily mana dorks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plague Myr" href="#" target="_blank">Plague Myr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a Phyrexianized Myr that makes colorless instead of colored mana and has infect. Belbe, meanwhile, is a Phyrexianized legendary creature that makes mana for each player we damage, which can be quite a lot if we’re the aggressor.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Plaguelord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Shredder"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Plaguelord" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Plaguelord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bone Shredder" href="#" target="_blank">Bone Shredder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are removal spells with strong pedigrees. The Plaguelord was the titular Rock from The Rock decks, referring to The Rock and His Minions, itself a reference to "The Rock and His Millions", a catchphrase from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. While <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deranged Hermit" href="#" target="_blank">Deranged Hermit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provided the “minions”, the Plaguelord sacrificed the tokens to clear the board. We use it to a similar effect.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bone Shredder, meanwhile, was a kitchen table fixture. It’s a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror" href="#" target="_blank">Terror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a stick, with echo balancing its power out. Reanimator decks loved re-using the ETB, which made it strong despite the echo cost.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Arena"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Rager"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Arena" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Arena</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and Rager are also classic Phyrexian cards with strong pedigrees. Arena is an example of a permanent that isn’t a Phyrexian but is within our color identity, working with the theme. It’s also just a generically powerful card and black staple.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Phyrexian Rager is a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sign in Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Sign in Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style card that, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bone Shredder" href="#" target="_blank">Bone Shredder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, comes with a body and has historically been played in Reanimator decks. We use it as a Phyrexian creature that draws cards.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Tower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Seedcore"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mana is a bit of a tricky balancing act for this deck, as we are a five-color deck that is base black. Black struggles a bit with mana fixing, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Command Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as mentioned earlier, isn’t an option. We do have lands like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Seedcore" href="#" target="_blank">The Seedcore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can make mana of any color, but lack pips, so they’re within our identity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Tower" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Tower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, meanwhile, is another mono-black staple that also fits our theme. We might not use it perfectly, but mana ramp is at a premium, and this is a way to sacrifice smaller creatures for the greater good.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we close the game out?</span></p>
<h2><b>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valko Indorian" href="#" target="_blank">Valko Indorian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</b></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tyrranax Rex"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our Phyrexians are here to dominate combat. We’re looking to present a huge board of gigantic creatures, a combination of the most powerful leaders of Phyrexia and their biggest and baddest minions. Elesh Norn is the combination of a massive team anthem and a stifling stax effect, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tyrranax Rex" href="#" target="_blank">Tyrranax Rex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the unofficial perversion of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carnage Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Carnage Tyrant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, sharing uncounterability, trample, and a protection effect. Just imagine Tyrranax and Elesh Norn together!</span></p>
<h2>The Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Valko Indorian Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Valko Indorian
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Akki Scrapchomper
*1 Armored Scrapgorger
*1 Axiom Engraver
*1 Belbe, Corrupted Observer
*1 Blight Titan
*1 Blightsteel Colossus
*1 Bone Shredder
*1 Cankerbloom
*1 Chancellor of the Annex
*1 Chancellor of the Dross
*1 Chancellor of the Forge
*1 Chancellor of the Spires
*1 Chancellor of the Tangle
*1 Davvol, Evincar of Rath
*1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
*1 Entomber Exarch
*1 Etched Monstrosity
*1 Evangel of Synthesis
*1 Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres
*1 First-Sphere Gargantua
*1 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
*1 Greven, Predator Captain
*1 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
*1 Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant
*1 Massacre Wurm
*1 Myr Convert
*1 Ovika, Enigma Goliath
*1 Phyrexian Debaser
*1 Phyrexian Defiler
*1 Phyrexian Delver
*1 Phyrexian Denouncer
*1 Phyrexian Fleshgorger
*1 Phyrexian Gargantua
*1 Phyrexian Infiltrator
*1 Phyrexian Ingester
*1 Phyrexian Missionary
*1 Phyrexian Plaguelord
*1 Phyrexian Rager
*1 Phyrexian Vivisector
*1 Plague Myr
*1 Priest of Yawgmoth
*1 Psychosis Crawler
*1 Scrapwork Rager
*1 Scrawling Crawler
*1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
*1 Skinrender
*1 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
*1 Tyrranax Rex
*1 Urabrask the Hidden
*1 Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Phyrexian Tribute
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Phyrexian Arena
*1 Phyrexian Etchings
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Phyrexian Altar
*1 Phyrexian Atlas
*1 Phyrexian Lens
*1 Phyrexian Totem
*1 Phyrexian Vault
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Cascading Cataracts
*1 Cavern of Souls
*5 Forest
*5 Island
*5 Mountain
*1 Multiversal Passage
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*5 Plains
*1 Secluded Courtyard
*10 Swamp
*1 The Seedcore
*1 Unclaimed Territory
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 War Room
*1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2><b>Conclusion</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Phyrexians have a range of commanders, including multiple <em>Mystery Booster</em> commanders. With Praetors, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Germ" href="#" target="_blank">Germ</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens, and minions, there are lots of routes Phyrexians can go.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How would you build Phyrexians? And who would you use to command them?</span></p>


valko indorian

Building Phyrexian Typal with Valko Indorian