(Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession | by Janet Aulisio)

Volrath's Shackles

Welcome back to The Toolbox! Here, we take a look at underplayed cards and evaluate where they ought to see more play. Today we’re taking a look at an underrated version of Vedalken ShacklesVedalken Shackles: Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession!

The most obvious comparison to this card is the infamous Vedalken ShacklesVedalken Shackles, which has caused many a player to utter a groan. The problem with Shackles is that playing it outside of mono-blue decks is pretty much impossible, but Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession does not have this downside; the downside it does have is that, to get this effect, you need to sacrifice a creature. As we've seen many times, though, this can be an upside!

Let’s take a look at Helm's most common commanders to date:

This is one of the times that the EDHREC page is not very helpful for the analysis of Helm. With two of the commanders being Skyfire KirinSkyfire Kirin and Yasova DragonclawYasova Dragonclaw, it's clear that this card is pretty definitively played in decks that just want to steal opposing creatures. Then there's Norin, who can leverage tokens from cards such as Genesis ChamberGenesis Chamber, to borrow opposing creatures.

There is more to this artifact than just pure theft strategies, though. This artifact can be used defensively, aggressively, or just to mess with people! It has a wide range of applications in a format as diverse as Commander, so let's get into it.

The Master

Sai, Master ThopteristSai, Master Thopterist is the first commander I thought of when I saw this card. Sai, as a token-generator, along with all the artifact synergies you could want, is the perfect commander to wear the Helm.

While Sai could just play Vedalken ShacklesVedalken Shackles, I think that there are some very good reasons to run Helm, instead. This is not an issue with Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession, though; the only downside is that you have to sacrifice a creature, but Sai conveniently generates those on his own.

While most of the time you want to be sacrificing tokens, there are some times where you can use the cost of sacrificing a creature to get a pretty strong advantage. With a deck like this you're able to recur sacrificed artifact creatures with Emry, Lurker of the LochEmry, Lurker of the Loch, Scrap TrawlerScrap Trawler, or Myr RetrieverMyr Retriever.

There's also the fact that Sai runs Unwinding ClockUnwinding Clock, Clock of OmensClock of Omens, and Manifold KeyManifold Key, each of which will let you use Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession to steal a creature attacking you to block another, for the low price of a Thopter, multiple times. Artifact tutors, like Whir of InventionWhir of Invention and Inventor's FairInventor's Fair, also allow you to find it whenever you need it.

If you've ever played an artifact deck, you know how many interactions are possible that I can't cover here, so here's the decklist.

A Lavish Crown

Gonti, Lord of LuxuryGonti, Lord of Luxury is the epitome of opulence, and what's more opulent than Volrath's Helm? I'm sad that there's no foil printing of Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession for it to be fully on-theme, but the fact that Gonti likes to steal is enough to make it worth it.

In talking with several Gonti players over the past, one of the best ways to maximize value in a Gonti deck is to include a sacrifice outlet that actually impacts the game. Including Ashnod's AltarAshnod's Altar is a given, but the next most-played sac outlet is Fleshbag MarauderFleshbag Marauder at 47%, and that's only a one-time effect!

With Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession, you could not only have a harder-to-remove Rubinia, SoulsingerRubinia, Soulsinger, but you'd also have a way to sacrifice Gonti and steal a creature just before your turn. If you have another sac outlet, you could sacrifice anything you steal, as well, so you don't have to give it back!

While I know some will protest, I do think that Helm is a good fit with Gonti, so take a look at the decklist and see if you agree.

Curses!

Not actually, but if you'd like to read more on Curses, I have a great article on Curse of OpulenceCurse of Opulence which can be found here. This time, though, Korvold, Fae-Cursed KingKorvold, Fae-Cursed King is the focus. A lot of people brought up Korvold in response to my last article with Pattern of RebirthPattern of Rebirth, which I liked, but I wanted to let him wear the Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession, instead.

Korvold already wants tokens to feast on from cards like Awakening ZoneAwakening Zone, so why not use some of the spare tokens to borrow your opponents' creatures? This deck is all about sacrifice, using Mayhem DevilMayhem Devil, Moldervine ReclamationMoldervine Reclamation, and Phyrexian AltarPhyrexian Altar to maximize every death from your board to grind your opponents down.

This has gotta be one of my favorite commanders for Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession because of the sheer versatility. It ties into the main game mechanic of sacrificing but also allows you to use your opponents' creatures. You could just use Helm to borrow and attack with them, as a Maze of IthMaze of Ith, or to sacrifice them to the Fae-Cursed King, himself!

The amount of interactions to go through is endless with a deck like this, so just take a look at the decklist to see for yourself.

Until Next Time

Thank you all for your continued support of the series! I hope that you all enjoyed reading this installment, and I hope that you’ve found a new home for Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession. Do you think that these commanders pair well with Helm of PossessionHelm of Possession? Do you think I’m overestimating this card, or do you agree it’s highly underrated? What other cards are you hoping to see get their place in the limelight? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!

Elijah Klein

Elijah is a mildly obsessive EDH player from Georgia. He started playing during Battle for Zendikar with Green/Black Eldrazi Aristocrats and still pays tribute to the plane with his Omnath, Locus of Rage storm brew. He is always excited to innovate and try new things in Magic and Life. Elijah is currently a full time student looking to go into Computer Engineering but also has a bit of an artistic streak.