Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder Living End Deck Tech

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Nature" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Nature</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/gregstaples">Greg Staples</a>)</h6>
<h1>Keywords as a Keystone</h1>
<p>Welcome to <em>Too-Specific Top 10</em>, where if there isn’t a category to rank our pet card at the top of, we’ll just make one up! (Did you know that <em>Banding</em> is the best new mechanic out of <em>Alpha</em>?)</p>
<p>This year, Commander Christmas brought us a full helping of legends based around underutilized keywords. From <em>Flashback </em>to <em>Madness</em>, we got some build-around commanders specifically made to help out archetypes that weren't really viable before. But while we're looking for new goodies, are we missing other excellent mechanics right under our noses? Have we really used all the available keywords that are build-aroundable?</p>
<p>To find out, let's dive into what the best mechanically-minded commanders are.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Top 10 Commanders Featuring a <a href="https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Evergreen">Non-Evergreen Keyword</a></h2>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/1-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37092" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/1-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice"></div></div>
<p>If anyone was doing some quick mental math while reading the theme for this week, it probably wasn't hard to figure out that the number one card that fit the criteria would also be the number one commander of all time. While Atraxa has been knocked off of the top of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders#pastweek">Past Week</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders#pastmonth">Past Month</a> lists, she's still good enough and flexible enough that she continues to stick around the middle of them despite all the new and exciting commanders we've seen in the past few months. As for her featured keyword, <em>Proliferate</em>, it's only gotten more popular of late with the return visit to the plane of Ravnica and the +1/+1 counters and planeswalkers that came with it.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for this too-specific list, however, <em>Proliferate</em> may not be the main reason that everyone plays Atraxa: given just how good her keyword soup is, and the fact that she's in four colors, Atraxa can often built as a "goodstuff outside the color red" commander rather than around a central theme that takes advantage of her <em>Proliferate </em>ability.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37093" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edgar Markov"></div></div>
<p>Perhaps we haven't gone specific enough with our top 10 this week, as our number two happens to be found on the second-most popular commander of the past two years. With the inclusion of <em>Eminence</em> as a keyword, however, it perhaps isn't much of a surprise that we ran into <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> so soon. Having a commander that can affect the game state without ever having to be cast is extremely powerful, even if that ability is restricted to a tribe. Maybe if a more obscure tribe than Vampires had been chosen, however...</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37094" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/3-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Queen Marchesa"></div></div>
<p>Moving a little bit further down the popular commanders list, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Marchesa" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Marchesa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is ranked the number ten commander overall, and number three on our list of keyword commanders. Often seen as a fun casual commander that allows for you to do pretty much anything you want in Mardu colors, Marchesa makes you the <em>Monarch</em> when she enters the battlefield, and then punishes others for taking the crown from you, thereby making it easier for you to take the crown back. Deathtouch Assassin tokens will do that, after all.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37095" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/4-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of <em>Eminence</em>, here is the most powerful of Dragons, whose mere presence allows other Dragons to rush forth from your hand, and whose actual arrival to the battlefield can even bring forth more Dragons from the top of your library. While throwing Dragons (and other permanents) onto the battlefield is certainly a lot of fun, this isn't quite the "building around keywords" type of thing we were looking for, now was it? In another universe where <em>Wizards of the Coast </em>hadn't brought back Protection to evergreen status, we would have had our number four in this list appear in the form of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animar, Soul of Elements" href="#" target="_blank">Animar, Soul of Elements</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As it is, we'll have to wait for our number five ranking before we find a legend who gives us a keyword to build around, rather than just building around some (admittedly awesome) large flying reptiles.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37096" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/5-resized.png" alt="" width="346" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tasigur, the Golden Fang"></div></div>
<p>There we go! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tasigur, the Golden Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Tasigur, the Golden Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is rather expensive when looking at his CMC, but in all actuality you're rarely casting him for that much thanks to the inclusion of <em>Delve</em>, which gets even better since his activated ability puts more cards into the graveyard. Indeed, in a Sultai deck built around getting things into and out of the graveyard, it's not uncommon to see him come down for a single black mana, even with a few instances of commander tax stacked on him. Speaking of cheap, he's also the first commander on the list under the $10.00 mark, coming in at only 35 cents (as of the posting of this article)!</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37097" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/6-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Omnath, Locus of Rage"></div></div>
<p>Perhaps one of the most popular and most commonplace keywords to grace commander tables everywhere, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locus of Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> brings us one heck of a <em>Landfall</em> trigger in the form of 5/5 Elementals; not only that, but he also gets to tack a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> onto each death trigger. It probably comes as no surprise, then, that Omnath is number 23 on the most popular commanders list. Being rewarded for playing lands, something you were already going to do, looks to be quite powerful on its face, but once you start building decks around it, it gets to a whole other level of ridiculousness.</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37098" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/7-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of things you were probably already going to be doing in a game of Commander, how about attacking? Casting spells, maybe? If you do manage to connect with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder" href="#" target="_blank">Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you're rewarded with your spells casting other spells for you! <em>Cascade</em> is another popular keyword, sometimes just acting as a train to value town, while other times finding specific combo pieces through careful manipulation of mana costs in your deck construction. Pairing either of those kinds of upside with four-colors-worth of resources leads to great options, no matter how you swing it.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-37099" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/8-resized.png" alt="" width="300" height="238" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div></div>
<p><em>Ninjitsu</em> is a keyword utilized exclusively by the Ninjas of the <em>Kamigawa</em> block. Or at least, it was, up until <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> crashed onto the scene in <em>Commander 2018.</em> Her slightly modified version of the Ninja keyword allows her to play switcheroo from the command zone when one of your creatures attacks and isn't blocked. The resulting combat damage allows both her and any other Ninja who happens to be getting through at the time to pull a reverse <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Confidant" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Confidant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, drawing you a card and having your opponents lose life equal to that card's mana cost. Add to that that the <em>Commander Ninjitsu</em> cost gets around commander tax, and it's not surprising that quite a few folks out there decided on dusting off their old Ninjas.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-37100" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/9-resized.png" alt="" width="300" height="195" /></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice"></div></div>
<p>All right, so I may have exaggerated in the intro when I said that all of the new keyword commanders from <em>Commander 2019</em> allowed strategies that weren't possible before. In the case of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghired, Conclave Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Ghired, Conclave Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it just allowed their keywords to be utilized in new color combinations. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an example of another commander that could helm a deck based around the <em>Populate</em> keyword, which encourages you to play bigger tokens so you can keep on making copies of them. How <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Godsire" href="#" target="_blank">Godsire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> didn't make the cut in the <em>Naya </em>version is a bit beyond me, though....</p>
<p><a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37101" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/10-resized.png" alt="" width="350" height="278" /></a></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist"></div></div>
<p>And... another <em>Eminence </em>commander, straight out of <em>Commander 2017</em> and warping a power curve near you. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist" href="#" target="_blank">Inalla, Archmage Ritualist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is centered around Wizards rather than keywords, although that doesn't mean you couldn't get up to some serious <em>Prowess</em> shenanigans if you put your mind to it!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Honorable Mentions</h2>
<p>Let's be honest, you're disappointed that a third of this list is <em>Eminence</em> commanders, and so am I. Abilities which operate from the command zone have long been a controversial topic, and the general increase in power level stemming from them is a large part of that controversy. With that in mind, then, let's take a look at what our Top 10 would look like without any cards that have the word "commander" or "command zone" on them. From that list we'll also remove any commanders that share a keyword with another commander in <em>that</em> top 10 (which edges out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karametra, God of Harvests" href="#" target="_blank">Karametra, God of Harvests</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kruphix, God of Horizons" href="#" target="_blank">Kruphix, God of Horizons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Athreos, God of Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Athreos, God of Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marchesa, the Black Rose"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phenax, God of Deception"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest"></div></div>
<ol>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetor&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Proliferate</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Marchesa" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Marchesa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Monarch</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tasigur, the Golden Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Tasigur, the Golden Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Delve</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omnath, Locus of Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Omnath, Locus of Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Landfall</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder" href="#" target="_blank">Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Cascade</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Trostani, Selesnya&#039;s Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Populate</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marchesa, the Black Rose" href="#" target="_blank">Marchesa, the Black Rose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Dethrone</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phenax, God of Deception" href="#" target="_blank">Phenax, God of Deception</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Devotion</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Historic</em></li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: <em>Prowess</em></li>
</ol>
<p>And there we have it! For those of you confused about our new #10, <em>Prowess</em> was dropped from evergreen status back in <em>Hour of Devastation</em>, allegedly for issues of complexity. That makes me doubt whether bringing back Protection was the right call, but I do still remember the old acronym D.E.B.T. (Damage, Equip/Enchant, Block, and Target), which makes remembering how Protection works a bit easier.</p>
<hr />
<h2>What Do You Think?</h2>
<p>With all of the keyworded commanders out and about from <em>Commander 2019</em>, are you excited that we're expanding on the list above? Are keywords something you'd like to see expanded on when it comes to future commanders, or would you rather <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> broaden their focus a bit?</p>
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<p>And finally, what are keyword mechanics you're building around?</p>
<p>Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you at the Mandatory <em>Monarch</em> tables soon!</p>


Too-Specific Top 10 - Evergreen, Schmevergreen

Spreading the Love - Battle of the Labs: Lab Maniacs vs Lotus Labs!

<h1>The Value of Additional Value</h1>
<p>Hey everyone, Kya here!</p>
<p>I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July! It's been a while since I've expanded on my <em>Spreading the Love</em> series, so I thought after so long it would be a good opportunity to dive back in. For those who don't recall this series, here we discuss different methods to bring new victims - I mean players - into the fold to also play <em>Magic: the Gathering</em>. I've found that new potentials often view the game cautiously and can quickly become overwhelmed after watching a few games. The previous series went extensively over how to bring your close friends and <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/spreading-the-love-getting-your-significant-other-to-play/">significant other</a> into the game. (I apologize for the newer people, as it's a bit of a long read.)</p>
<p>However, since I've written that article, I've had a lot of interesting... test subjects... to further prove my theories about what really gets someone hooked on <em>Magic</em>. As I mentioned before, some might find the game confusing and overwhelming at first if they watch from the sidelines. For example, I know many, many females for whom this is true. They will often join their boyfriend's group to watch, but always politely decline to play. The excuses vary, but it usually really comes down to that overwhelming component I mentioned.</p>
<p>So what do you do? As I've discussed in previous articles, you obviously start slow. However, one thing I found to be even more important is that we players can overestimate how difficult the core mechanics are for new players to grasp, even after you power-walk them through a few games, with the cards in their hands. It rarely takes more than three games showing someone the process before they start to get it. This article is dedicated to the <strong>next step</strong> after those first few games.</p>
<p>So where do we go from there? Where is that hook between getting someone who is still going back and forth deciding whether or not they want to play again, to becoming a fully-fledged EDH player? As mentioned in previous work, yes, letting them win will definitely help. Nothing like conditioning a loved one through various rewards systems and occasional dopamine releases to really set that control - I mean love - into their brain. However, there is one thing that works even better than letting other players win: letting them have long, meaningful turns within the game. This seems to be the main difference between someone thinking "meh" about the game or becoming obsessive in their newfound hobby. I'd argue that a new player winning a game is a far second compared to a new player blasting out multiple meaningful cards on a single turn.</p>
<p>So, what kind of deck do we have for these poor souls we plan to turn into <em>Magic </em>addicts?</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Yidris Effect</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20212" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/00000000.jpg" alt="" width="223" height="311" /></p>
<p>Yes! One of my favorite decks will be the centerpiece for this topic. When I first saw <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder" href="#" target="_blank">Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I fell in love with our deranged Ogre. Those of you who have read my other articles may have seen his name pop up multiple times. I know what you may be thinking, though: a four-color deck is a bit much for a new player. I would agree; as I've mentioned in other articles, you usually want to start off with one or two colors for a beginner. As I said above though, I think we overestimate some of the difficulties for teaching new player, and that includes the jump from two to four colors (at least if you have a proper land base, anyway). Yidris Goodstuff does everything we want for a newer player to really feel the fun of EDH. The deck is crammed full of goodies that will make impactful plays and cause opponents to squirm with every new spell. Those sorts of reactions get players excited, sustain their interest in <em>Magic</em>, and make them even happier to flip into more spells with <em>Cascade.</em></p>
<p>One important thing when building a <em>Cascade</em> deck is to try and build the deck to <em>Cascade</em> into the specific spells you want. Luckily, this is easy, since we can pack the deck with every great card we can find, which will often have higher mana costs, allowing us to <em>Cascade </em>into a variety of powerful effects. I essentially built my deck so all my ramp was low-costed, to <em>Cascade</em> into more low-cost ramp, while my high-CMC cards were spread out and can hit larger spells. Any newer player would love to play this type of deck, as it can be tailored however they would like. Finally, it also allows that player to learn slightly more difficult mechanics and interactions.</p>
<p>Oh, and I just realized something while typing this: Yidris's <em>Cascade</em> ability is so random that it's sort of like gambling, which also helps our new players grow more addicted to the game. Mwahahaha!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Mini Yidris</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20213" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/000000.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="280" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20214" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/00-1.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="279" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20215" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/0-1.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="279" /></p>
<p>Let's get into some awesome Yidris cards our new players will just love. These here are the <a href="http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Cell_Jr.">Cell Jr.</a>'s of our deck. They help Yidris with <em>Cascade</em>, flipping into more and more nonsense! Imagine <em>Cascading</em> with Yidris as you cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maelstrom Wanderer" href="#" target="_blank">Maelstrom Wanderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and then doing it two more times! Imagine then hitting a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodbraid Elf" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodbraid Elf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as well! Sure, the Elf may not be impactful in EDH, but its an extra card that happened by chance and resulted in another card! That's the entire point! There's almost always a massive smile across a newer player's face as she starts <em>Cascading</em> heavily off her deck.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Good Stuff</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20217" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/000000000000000000000000.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="280" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20218" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/00000000000000000-1.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="280" /><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20216" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/0000000000000000000.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="280" /></p>
<p>Not much of a 'Goodstuff' deck without the good stuff! Now these are some crazy mean cards to hit the field. Imagine casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="In Garruk&#039;s Wake" href="#" target="_blank">In Garruk&#039;s Wake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and flipping into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! For most players, casting just one of these cards would mean the end of a turn, due to their high CMC. Not with our favorite chaotic Ogre! This further drives the point of this deck. When I cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="In Garruk&#039;s Wake" href="#" target="_blank">In Garruk&#039;s Wake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, will I go into an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Army of the Damned" href="#" target="_blank">Army of the Damned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and establish a commanding board presence... or will I hit a mana rock? Either way, I wiped the board and now I'm excited for what comes next. Winning becomes less of a stressful issue in my mind, and my focus is just to slam more powerhouses onto the field than anyone else. That's what keeps players coming back for more.</p>
<p>(PS: I wouldn't worry about the high mana costs of these cards; sometimes those are daunting for new folks, but that's what all those mana rocks and ramp are there for!)</p>
<hr />
<h2>Always Making Time</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20219" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/00000000000000000000000000000000000000.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="279" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20220" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/000000000000000000000000000000.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="280" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20221" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/000000000000000000000000000.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="279" /></p>
<p>Of course you were going to see extra turn cards! If the theme is playing more spells, then these would be a logical conclusion! Sometimes a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Time Warp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might take up a majority of someone's mana, and therefore their turn, but not here. With Yidris, we can cast it and get something else. Either that or we cast something big (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) and got Warp as a result! Naturally, we're going to add <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Stretch" href="#" target="_blank">Time Stretch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in here too. So much additional value!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Winning By Doing More</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20222" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="279" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20223" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="279" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-20224" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="279" /></p>
<p>No deck is complete without a nonsense win condition! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aggravated Assault" href="#" target="_blank">Aggravated Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a land-untapping effect can grant you a zillion combat steps. Really gets to the spirit of the deck when you can attack infinite times! It's not too broken or difficult to understand, either. As long as Yidris can hit the person, he can do it literally countless times! Even better, say you take out one or two people but can't attack that pesky last player. Well, now you get all those <em>Cascade </em>triggers from all the times you hit the other players. That's pretty nutty! There are a few ways to accomplish this combo, so if something happens to your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Feast and Famine" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Feast and Famine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bear Umbra" href="#" target="_blank">Bear Umbra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you can always use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nature&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Nature&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>Now, let's check out a final decklist that'll have new players loving all their awesome, valuable turns!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Yidris Effect" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Dragon Mage
*1 Terastodon
*1 Hellkite Charger
*1 Rune-Scarred Demon
*1 Shardless Agent
*1 Maelstrom Wanderer
*1 Etherium-Horn Sorcerer
*1 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
*1 Bloodbraid Elf
*1 Rashmi, Eternities Crafter
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Jori En, Ruin Diver
*1 Savage Ventmaw
*1 Etali, Primal Storm
*1 Xenagos, God of Revels
*1 Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Cyclonic Rift
*1 Ancient Excavation
*1 Bituminous Blast
*1 Rakdos Charm
[/Instants]
[Sorcery]
*1 Time Stretch
*1 Expropriate
*1 Whispering Madness
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Clone Legion
*1 Reforge the Soul
*1 Far Wanderings
*1 Wheel of Fate
*1 Rite of Replication
*1 Windfall
*1 Decimate
*1 Explosive Vegetation
*1 Army of the Damned
*1 In Garruk&#039;s Wake
*1 Temporal Mastery
*1 Temporal Trespass
*1 Time Warp
[/Sorcery]
[Artifact]
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mana Crypt
*1 Simic Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Rakdos Signet
*1 Gilded Lotus
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Boompile
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Mana Vault
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
*1 Chromatic Lantern
*1 Sword of Feast and Famine
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Golgari Signet
[/Artifact]
[Enchantments]
*1 Mind&#039;s Dilation
*1 Aggravated Assault
*1 Blood Mist
*1 Bear Umbra
*1 Burgeoning
*1 Rhystic Study
*1 Nature&#039;s Will
*1 Sunbird&#039;s Invocation
*1 Possibility Storm
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Dragonskull Summit
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Graven Cairns
*1 Command Tower
*1 Sulfurous Springs
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Karplusan Forest
*1 Underground River
*1 Jungle Hollow
*1 Simic Growth Chamber
*1 Smoldering Marsh
*1 Scalding Tarn
*1 Shadowblood Ridge
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Shivan Reef
*1 Homeward Path
*1 Frontier Bivouac
*1 Rugged Highlands
*4 Forest
*4 Swamp
*4 Island
*3 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<hr />
<h2>Closing Thoughts</h2>
<p>So what does everyone think? How have <em>you</em> gathered newer players to our lovely hobby?</p>
<p>I debated mentioning this or not, but I decided I want to close by discussing one mistake I've seen countless boyfriends make when trying to get their girlfriends to play. Often someone will get a new player a Tribal deck based off something he/she may like, such as Zombies or Vampires. I've seen this idea tank so many times when those decks fail to perform because it was overtly crafted for a newer player in mind. If you want proof, just look at their expressions as they drop one land, play one spell, and then pass the turn. It's much more engaging to play decks like Yidris, which gives spells a bigger punch and creates more impactful and exciting turns, which helps addict new players to this awesome game.</p>
<p>Just a little advice from a girl that's seen this happen countless times to other couples. I've actually found a bit of success getting people to play when their significant other isn't around. Strange, I know, but this has been an oddly common occurrence lately. However, we'll discuss more tips for new players on the next <em>Spreading the Love!</em></p>
<p>Have a great July!</p>
<p>-Kya</p>


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