<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nekusar, the Mindrazer" href="#" target="_blank">Nekusar, the Mindrazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/markwinters">Mark Winters</a></em></p>
<h2>Beginning Our Descent into Madness</h2>
<p>Welcome, one and all, to another edition of <em>Commander Makeover</em>! Here, we take commanders older than hills, and give them new life. Today, we're tackling a commander from one of the first preconstructed deck releases, and one that was a boogeyman of sorts in the early days of the format. No, not <em>that</em> early, but close enough.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nekusar, the Mindrazer"></div></div>
<p>Our commander for this week comes in at five mana, where it starts to become expensive for decks not in green (unless you run lots of mana rocks and Treasures). That said, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nekusar, the Mindrazer" href="#" target="_blank">Nekusar, the Mindrazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does one thing and does it really well: draw cards! As a bonus, he pings our opponents for each card they draw, and that adds up really fast, especially once you account for cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wheel of Fortune" href="#" target="_blank">Wheel of Fortune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, what are people on EDHREC running in their Nekusar decks these days?</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wizard&#039;s Staff" href="#" target="_blank">Wizard&#039;s Staff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wizard&#039;s Staff"></div></div>
<p>The most important thing here is that our commander's a Wizard, meaning double the draws, and double the pings. This will be easy to equip for a brain-melting number of triggers. It almost reminds me of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathars&#039; Crusade" href="#" target="_blank">Cathars&#039; Crusade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card I loathe for exactly the same reason. There's much beauty in simplicity, but if you can handle all those triggers, be sure to give this card a try.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Master of Lake-town" href="#" target="_blank">The Master of Lake-town</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Master of Lake-town"></div></div>
<p>One word: Ew.</p>
<p>One longer word: Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww.</p>
<p>The card's going to be absolutely disgusting here. For each card an opponent draws, they lose a life and mill a card, too. Maybe some masochist opponent who loves fiddling with their graveyards will get a kick out of this, but it adds up real fast. He's also got deathtouch, making him a valuable blocker as well.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krang, the All-Powerful" href="#" target="_blank">Krang, the All-Powerful</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krang, the All-Powerful"></div></div>
<p>A card that, in this deck, is identical to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wizard&#039;s Staff" href="#" target="_blank">Wizard&#039;s Staff</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Again, if you can keep track of the triggers, you're in a good spot. On top of that, because of our commander, everyone will be drawing two cards, including our opponents. That means Krang will get huge very fast, making him a real threat in the 99. The caveat is that he's also five mana, like our commander. The priority should always be getting said commander out first, then dropping Krang.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Sculpt" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Sculpt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Sculpt"></div></div>
<p>For one mana more than the infamous <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Drain" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Drain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we get a fixed version. Here, we're getting the mana only if we have a Wizard out. Our commander just so happens to be a Wizard, so we can get the mana if he sticks. Otherwise, we're better off running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cancel" href="#" target="_blank">Cancel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or one of its many variants. If we're looking to run Mana Drain in Bracket 2 without the feel-bads, this is the way.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flashback" href="#" target="_blank">Flashback</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flashback"></div></div>
<p>With all of those cards in our hand, we're likely discarding them (unless you're paranoid about that and shove in as many cards that negate maximum hand size as possible). On top of that, we also discard our cards when we wheel. Flashback (the card, not the mechanic) ensures we can reuse an instant or sorcery a second time before it goes for good. It also has the namesake mechanic, so we can do it again.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hexing Squelcher" href="#" target="_blank">Hexing Squelcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hexing Squelcher"></div></div>
<p>While the body may be fragile, the abilities are not. This ensures our spells always go through while also adding a layer of protection to all of our creatures, including the commander himself. If we so happen to take a lot of heat for what we're doing, then perhaps the Squelcher will help.</p>
<h3>Do Not Run This!</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Naktamun Lorespinner"></div></div>
<p>No, seriously. Don't.</p>
<p>There are about 775 decks on EDHREC running this card, and no doubt the allure of a repeatable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wheel of Fortune" href="#" target="_blank">Wheel of Fortune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sounds promising, but the problem comes with how to prepare it. Our commander will ensure someone will always have cards in hand, thus this card being a nonbo with our commander. If our deck tries to deplete our opponents' hands (which, spoilers, will ensure you get ganged up on and die), then maybe this card works, but even the Wheel draws everyone seven cards. This will make preparing the creature again very unlikely.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Razorkin Needlehead" href="#" target="_blank">Razorkin Needlehead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Razorkin Needlehead"></div></div>
<p>While this creature is doing a pretty good impression of our commander, it's also much more frail. That said, it does come down sooner. The double red isn't bad, either. We're not in four or five colors, so casting it shouldn't be hard. The conditional first strike is essentially flavor text here: we're seldom going to be blocking with this card, opting to keep it alive to ping our opponents instead.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrawling Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Scrawling Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrawling Crawler"></div></div>
<p>Another card that does a (somewhat) even better impression of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nekusar, the Mindrazer" href="#" target="_blank">Nekusar, the Mindrazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, only easier to remove. I take issue with all this redundancy, but that's a topic for another article. The draw trigger only happens during our upkeep, so it'll be a bit slow for it to get going alone. Again, we're also not really going to be blocking unless our life total is low. Note that the ping done by the Crawler isn't damage but life loss, meaning certain cards won't bump that number up.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls"></div></div>
<p>If I thought <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Master of Lake-town" href="#" target="_blank">The Master of Lake-town</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was "ewwwwwwww," as I described it here, Valvy's going to be "EW! EW! EW!!!!!!!"</p>
<p>Under our commander's influence, Valgavoth will grow scary, very fast. A single ping from an opponent drawing cards will give Moth Boy here a counter and us a card. It's very much a kill-on-sight card, even in the 99 of a deck that can wield it so effectively. The ward cost certainly makes it even better, too. I suppose this goes to show that it's not just busted as a commander (and we'll soon cover him, too. Foreshadowing!)</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, Visionary" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, Visionary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Niv-Mizzet, Visionary"></div></div>
<p>Now that's a good way to continue the tempo after dropping our commander! No maximum hand size means we can go silly with drawing cards. On top of that, each ping an opponent gets for drawing cards means we draw one as well. That said, it's also a creature, making it rather frail. On top of that, this will not work with the earlier mentioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrawling Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Scrawling Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as Niv-Mizzet checks for damage, not life loss. This sort of thing was the bit I was alluding to in that section.</p>
<h3>Removal Galore!</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Withering Torment"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasphemous Edict"></div></div>
<p>Over the last two years, we've got ourselves some new removal. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Withering Torment" href="#" target="_blank">Withering Torment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of black's only ways of dealing with enchantments alongside the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (in red) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, so I'd be running this in every black deck I can. The life loss is also negligible, so we can use this with impunity. The second is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Edict" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Edict</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can be good against those pesky token decks. Just note that this impacts us, too, so time it right for the best results.</p>
<h2>Enlightenment!</h2>
<p>Next week, on our <em>Precon</em> <em>Remastered</em> series, we begin <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/c15"><em>Commander 2015</em></a>, so tune in for that. However, as I wrote this piece, I noticed that <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/blb">Bloomburrow</a> </em>rotated out about a month ago (It must've gotten lost in the earlier real-life chaos that unfolded), so the next installment will be from there. Tune back in the week after next to see who that might be.</p>


wizards staff

Nekusar, the Mindrazer | Commander Makeover

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