Thranduil, the Elvenking | Art by Magali Villeneuve

Well folks, previews for Magic's return to Middle-earth via The Hobbit have been roll-roll-rolling, and things are already looking to shake up cEDH — and not just with new cards for the 99. May I introduce you to the newest legendary creature to grace the format with a one-card win condition — Thranduil, the ElvenkingThranduil, the Elvenking.

What Does Thranduil, the ElvenkingThranduil, the Elvenking Do?

Coming in at , Thranduil, the Elvenking is a legendary 5/6 Elf Noble creature with one static and one triggered ability. First, Thranduil has all activated abilities of all Elf cards in your graveyard. Second, whenever another legendary Elf you control enters, draw two cards, then discard a card.

Getting that triggered ability out of the way first, cEDH isn't really known for a critical mass of good, legendary Elves. Sure, there are some decks led by Elves, but the mainboard of your average cEDH list isn't running a legendary Elf, and Thranduil here is no exception. So, as far as that triggered ability is concerned, we can ignore it going forward.

On to the real reason Thranduil is going to put up numbers at competitive tables: that static ability. If you've ever played against a Necrotic OozeNecrotic Ooze combo deck before, then you already know how trivially easy it is to dump the right creatures into the graveyard, only to suddenly be facing down a single creature capable of taking out the entire table at once.

Fortunately for Thranduil, that same principle applies in equal measure even when the restriction of just Elf cards is put on it. That's right, pitch away the right creatures and Thranduil can readily become a lethal powerhouse in a single turn.

Key Cards for Thranduil, the ElvenkingThranduil, the Elvenking

Graveyard Fillers

Starting off with the ways to fill up our graveyard, there are three primary types: targeted EntombEntomb-like effects, discard effects, and mass mill.

As far as the first camp is concerned, the only targeted effect used is actually Buried AliveBuried Alive, simply because it is so much better than the likes of Entomb or Unmarked GraveUnmarked Grave in that it is more worthwhile to spend those card slots on tutoring for Buried Alive than it is to run single-target effects.

Thranduil needs three key Elves in the graveyard in order to close out the game, and Buried Alive achieves exactly that, pitching three creatures from your deck straight into the graveyard. So, as we'll see later, resolving a Buried Alive usually means ending the game.

Moving to discard effects, the two primary contenders here are Survival of the FittestSurvival of the Fittest (an all around staple of green that we'd be running even if we didn't care about the graveyard at all), and the Stax piece Chains of MephistophelesChains of Mephistopheles.

Given enough mana, Survival of the Fittest can also assemble the three-card trifecta on its own, as tutoring for each requisite Elf just to discard it as part of the next Survival activation is a wholly worthwhile strategy.

Last but not least, mass mill. Like Buried Alive, this deck really just runs one card, but it's a doozy: Brain FreezeBrain Freeze. Sit back, wait for a particularly nasty stack battle, then throw out a Brain Freeze at the end of it and watch as you mill an easy 20+ cards for just . Plus, it's a combo piece.

Pseudo-Haste Enablers

So, we've found a way to get our Elf pile into the graveyard, now what? Well, just about any way you assemble it, the combo involves tapping a creature somewhere along the line, so this deck also runs a selection of effects that enable you to tap your creatures as soon as possible. Tyvar, Thousand-Year Elixir, and Shang-Chi all permit activating activated abilities as though your creatures had haste, which is exactly what we're looking for.

How Does Thranduil, the ElvenkingThranduil, the Elvenking Win?

Buried Alive Combo

Alrighty, on to the main attraction: Thranduil's one-card combo with Buried Alive. Here's how it works:

• Starting point: Thranduil is in play and can tap to activate activated abilities (either because it entered on an earlier turn or you control a pseudo-haste enabler).
• Cast Buried AliveBuried Alive, searching your library for Devoted DruidDevoted Druid, Zameck GuildmageZameck Guildmage, and Incubation DruidIncubation Druid, then put them into your graveyard.
• Now that Thranduil has all activated abilities from those Elves, pay to put three +1/+1 counters on it (thanks to Incubation Druid's adapt ability).
• Rinse and repeat the following step three times: tap Thranduil for three mana (thanks to Incubation Druid's mana ability), then untap Thranduil by putting a -1/-1 counter on it (thanks to Devoted Druid's untap ability).
• Once the prior loop is done, you should have at least and six other mana thanks to Thranduil activations. Additionally, Thranduil will have no +1/+1 counters and no -1/-1 counters on it, as those counters will have canceled out as a state-based action.
• Repeat the previous three steps until you have infinite and infinite . Then, begin looping Incubation Druid's adapt ability with Zameck Guildmage's card draw ability, cycling through putting +1/+1 counters on Thranduil and then removing those counters to draw cards.

The end of this combo will present you with infinite mana and your entire deck in your hand. From here, you can either close out the game with Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle, or an infinitely-large board thanks to Finale of DevastationFinale of Devastation.

Hermit Druid Combo

Next up, Hermit DruidHermit Druid. Since this deck doesn't run any basic lands, activating Hermit Druid will mill the entire deck. From here, you can either flashback Dread Return to put Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle into play (assuming you have three creatures to sacrifice), or you can iterate through the same infinite mana combo with Devoted Druid and Incubation Druid, replacing Zameck Guildmage with Deathrite ShamanDeathrite Shaman, as you'll have the ability to infinitely tap/untap Thranduil in order to activate Deathrite Shaman's second ability a number of times equal to the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard, draining the table for a probably-lethal amount.

Classic Combos

As far as classic cEDH combos are concerned, this deck runs the Dimir-classic Tainted Fish combo (Thassa's Oracle and Demonic ConsultationDemonic Consultation/Tainted PactTainted Pact), as well as the ability to steal an opponent's Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach combo — thanks to Praetor's GraspPraetor's Grasp — as the deck already runs both Brain FreezeBrain Freeze and Lion's Eye DiamondLion's Eye Diamond as synergy pieces (mill and discard).

Thranduil, the ElvenkingThranduil, the Elvenking cEDH Deck List

Wrap Up

Thranduil, the ElvenkingThranduil, the Elvenking is another solid option in the world of Sultai midrange decks. Granted, it's a pretty expensive commander at five mana, but don't discount the potency of a one-card win condition that's supported by a deck chock-full of engines.