(Rhystic StudyRhystic Study | Art by Paul Scott Canavan )

Upgraded (3) cEDH! ...c3dh?

Welcome to Too-Specific Top 10, 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 TrinisphereTrinisphere is the only colorless, non-mana-producing artifact on the Game Changers list?)

With the introduction of the bracket system, there is all sorts of hullabaloo about bad actors that will abuse the system and continue to pubstomp. But what about those of us who want to abuse the system... competitively?

Top 10 Game Changers

To be clear, I do not endorse pub stomping. I also know, having tried it, that playing Competitive EDH decks against pub stompers to show them that they're not the geniuses they seem to think they are doesn't work.

In short, as has been said many times before, there's nothing that can really be done about bad actors other than calling them out as such and hoping they figure it out for themselves someday.

Gavin Verhey's take on bad actors, from Wizards' "Introducing Commander Brackets Beta" article

With that said, what if, in good faith, some of us decided, together, to push the brackets as far as they can go. What would that look like?

Well, to find out, let's start from the top and see which decks might be able to technically translate, per the letter of the law, from cEDH (5) down to each bracket below it.

For those not familiar with the cEDH meta, the best place to find which decks are doing well is edhtop16.com, where decks that have placed well at tournaments are collated.

If you go since the last bans that shook up the format in September, and filter out some of the smaller tournaments, then the top decks in the format look something like this right now:

Top 20 cEDH Decks

1. Kraum, Ludevic's OpusKraum, Ludevic's Opus & Tymna the WeaverTymna the Weaver "Blue Farm": 122 Top Cuts, 7.85% Meta Share
2. Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero & Tymna the WeaverTymna the Weaver "TnT": 84 Top Cuts, 5.96% Meta Share
3. Rograkh, Son of RohgahhRograkh, Son of Rohgahh & Silas Renn, Seeker AdeptSilas Renn, Seeker Adept "RogSi": 66 Top Cuts, 5.07% Meta Share
4. Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyKinnan, Bonder Prodigy "Kinnanu Reeves": 62 Top Cuts, 5.74% Meta Share
5. Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain "Sisay Tutor Chains": 58 Top Cuts, 4.4% Meta Share
6. Magda, Brazen OutlawMagda, Brazen Outlaw "Magda Clock Combo": 32 Top Cuts, 2.47% Meta Share
7. Tivit, Seller of SecretsTivit, Seller of Secrets "Tivit Turns": 32 Top Cuts, 2.35% Meta Share
8. Kenrith, the Returned KingKenrith, the Returned King "Kenrith Midrange": 22 Top Cuts, 1.59% Meta Share
9. Rograkh, Son of RohgahhRograkh, Son of Rohgahh & Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero "RogThras": 21 Top Cuts, 1.95% Meta Share
10. Malcolm, Keen-Eyed NavigatorMalcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator & Vial Smasher the FierceVial Smasher the Fierce "Malcolm Vial Turbo Naus": 19 Top Cuts, 1.05% Meta Share
11. Najeela, the Blade-BlossomNajeela, the Blade-Blossom "Najeela Tempo": 15 Top Cuts, 1.79% Meta Share
12. Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow "Yuriko Tempo": 14 Top Cuts, 2.03% Meta Share
13. Atraxa, Grand UnifierAtraxa, Grand Unifier "Atraxa Food Chain": 13 Top Cuts, 1.15% Meta Share
14. Glarb, Calamity's AugurGlarb, Calamity's Augur "Bad Tasigur": 12 Top Cuts, 0.78% Meta Share
15. Derevi, Empyrial TacticianDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "Birding Pod": 12 Top Cuts, 1.34% Meta Share
16. Tevesh Szat, Doom of FoolsTevesh Szat, Doom of Fools & Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero "Tevesh Thrasios Midrange": 10 Top Cuts, 0.52% Meta Share
17. Krark, the ThumblessKrark, the Thumbless & Sakashima of a Thousand FacesSakashima of a Thousand Faces "Krark Sakashima": 10 Top Cuts, 0.91% Meta Share
18. Ob Nixilis, Captive KingpinOb Nixilis, Captive Kingpin "Ob Nauseam": 10 Top Cuts, 1.07% Meta Share
19. Stella Lee, Wild CardStella Lee, Wild Card "Stella Lee Count to Three": 8 Top Cuts, 0.83% Meta Share
20. Kediss, Emberclaw FamiliarKediss, Emberclaw Familiar & Malcolm, Keen-Eyed NavigatorMalcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator "Malcolm Kediss": 8 Top Cuts, 0.58% Meta Share

So, of our top 20, which decks would translate well to the lower brackets? And which brackets are we talking about, anyhow?

So, the first decision: There can't really be a thing such as "Bracket 4 cEDH", because the Optimized bracket has the exact same restrictions as cEDH does, which is to say none at all.

So, skipping over Optimized (4), the next one down is Upgraded (3).

Upgraded (3) cEDH

Three cards from the Game Changers list is the main restriction here, although taking out (MLD) Mass Land Denial and chaining extra turns is going to eliminate some of the above lists' game plans outright.

There is also a restriction on "early game two-card combos" that isn't listed in our graphic here that is in effect for the Upgraded (3) bracket, as well, that is more or less going to eliminate every commander-combo deck.

For instance, Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyKinnan, Bonder Prodigy most often wins through landing a Basalt MonolithBasalt Monolith, which now produces four mana with Kinnan's ability helping out, resulting in immediate infinite mana that can then start activating Kinnan's ability to roll through your whole deck (NOTE: you usually need a Treasure VaultTreasure Vault or other color fixer to achieve this).

This doesn't entirely eliminate Kinnan from contention, as there are still 71 more three-card combos available to abuse with them, but it does take the main line that the deck uses and makes it immediately impossible in the Upgraded (3) bracket.

Tivit, Seller of SecretsTivit, Seller of Secrets likewise has a two-card combo that involves himself and Time SieveTime Sieve. So long as you still have three opponents, TivitTivit's ability will get you a combination of five Clues and Treasures to sacrifice to Time SieveTime Sieve, resulting in infinite turns.

This is, of course, doubly outlawed in the Upgraded (3) bracket, as you're not allowed to use early two-card combos or chain extra turns.

Finally, Atraxa, Grand UnifierAtraxa, Grand Unifier is a Food ChainFood Chain deck that, while not going infinite with just the commander and Food ChainFood Chain, utilizes an efficient combo with either Eternal ScourgeEternal Scourge or Misthollow GriffinMisthollow Griffin to get you infinite mana that can be used to cast creatures.

While this doesn't entirely eliminate Atraxa as a commander option, it does say that you can't use the main strategy that allows her to be a dominant commander, and the fact that she draws cards for six mana doesn't quite make up for that, in all likelihood.

As for the rest of the top cEDH decks? In large part, it's not a single two-card combo that makes them good, but rather a combination of strong card advantage abilities and access to colors that allow them to just... play the best cards in the format.

Which brings us to the central question revolving around Upgraded (3) cEDH: If you can only play three of the best cards in the format, then which three do you prioritize?

Criteria: Cards on the Game Changers list. As is tradition, all results are ordered by EDHREC score.

10. The One RingThe One Ring

(399,061 Inclusions, 8% of 5,131,517 Decks)

Already banned in Modern, and now on the Game Changer list in Commander, The One RingThe One Ring certainly isn't getting less notorious. Nor should it be.

Whether it be a casual game or a cEDH game, it's rare to see this fairly expensive artifact come down and not then go on to define that game.

At lower power levels, the protection from everything can be difficult to impossible to overcome, and even at higher power levels it often throws a wrench in the works and keeps its occupant alive for another turn. The true power of the ring, however, is just its sheer ability to draw cards.

I've seen turn one and turn two Rings come down and be sitting at six Burden counters by the time the game ended, and that's without untappers like Manifold KeyManifold Key and Minamo, School at Water's EdgeMinamo, School at Water's Edge.

With some quick math, that means that the Ringbearer drew 21 cards off of it, and who needs tutors when you can just draw a quarter of your deck?

Well, c3dh makes that question into a bit more of a reality, with most of the good tutors being on the Game Changer list and therefore restricted. So if you can't play those tutors, why not play the card that more and more cEDH decks are tutoring for instead?

For c3dh decks that aren't looking to utilize specific cards on the Game Changer list to combo out for a win, The One RingThe One Ring will be one of their three cards, guaranteed.

9. Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor

(412,806 Inclusions, 18% of 2,347,001 Decks)

It's interesting to see which tutors made the Game Changers list and which ones didn't, but I can't really protest the inclusion of Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor.

Of the 39,918 combos currently known on Commander Spellbook, artifacts and enchantments feature in 23,155 of them.

In other words, totally excluding very real plays like going to find The One RingThe One Ring on turn one, Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor can find you a combo piece for more than half of the combos in the game.

Now, is that as impressive as other Game Changers like DemonicDemonic and Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor that can find all of them? No, absolutely not. But if you're in white, this is a consideration, as there's no other tutors that can do what it does outside of black.

8. Jeska's WillJeska's Will

(438,560 Inclusions, 17% of 2,572,035 Decks)

Like The One RingThe One Ring before it, Jeska's WillJeska's Will is ubiquitous because it does two things better than any other card does, not just one. Okay, okay, drawing three cards for three mana is rare, but not actually unheard of. When it comes to the ritual half of Jeska's WillJeska's Will, however, it stands alone.

Three mana for six or seven out of the other end is a deal you'll just take every time, no matter if you get to draw the cards or not. When this really shines, however, is in a deck with a cheap commander that can turn it on immediately.

Many an eye has suddenly widened on turn one when the RograkhRograkh deck followed up him hitting the board with a couple fast mana pieces and then a Jeska's WillJeska's Will, and rightfully so.

That play will take place a lot less under the restrictions of the Upgraded (3) bracket, but it's still a pretty darn good deal on turn two or three, too.

7. Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship

(454,576 Inclusions, 18% of 2,514,784 Decks)

Blue gives you access to not only the best and most plentiful draw options in the game, but also to counter magic. Chief among those these days is Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship, seeing even more play than the ubiquitous Force of WillForce of Will. For the simple price of having played your commander, you can counter any noncreature spell, with no additional costs.

Failing that, this is still a CancelCancel with one less pip, a fine deal for the tradeoff of it being free most of the time and it not being able to counter creatures.

With that said, I don't see many c3dh decks, or bracket three decks at all, splurging to take one of their slots for Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship.

There are plenty of other free CounterspellCounterspells out there, and as much as its nice that this one is the best, it just doesn't do nearly as much as many of the other cards on the Game Changers list that will win a game outright. After all, you can only counter one spell, and folks are liable to play a few more than that.

6. Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor

(467,917 Inclusions, 18% of 2,603,111 Decks)

There is at least a discussion to be had on whether Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor or Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor are the best tutors in the game, given Vampiric's lower mana cost and instant speed. The discussion is a bit moot for our purposes, however, given that both ended up on the Game Changers list.

Moreover, I think there are suitable enough replacements that it will be rare that you choose either DemonicDemonic or Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor to fill one of your three slots allowed for an Upgraded (3) deck. Grab one of the several other tutors in black, and you'll be fine.

5. Ancient TombAncient Tomb

(543,213 Inclusions, 10% of 5,268,300 Decks)

A near-universal inclusion in any high-powered deck, there's a simple reason why: Ancient TombAncient Tomb is a single land that makes two mana, no questions asked. It doesn't want to know how many lands you have, or if you have any specific other lands, or any other nonsense like that.

You simply put it down and tap it for two mana and two life. The question is, is that extra mana worth its inclusion as one of your three Game Changers? I would say under most circumstances, it is not.

There's lot of ramp out there in the world, and this is fairly easily replaceable, even if the alternative won't be nearly as good. Spend those card slots on cards that are actually game changing.

4. Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor

(570,872 Inclusions, 22% of 2,603,111 Decks)

Much the same as Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor, Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor is arguably the best tutor in the game. That in no way means it's irreplaceable, however.

If we start at the fourth-best tutor in black (Imperial SealImperial Seal is also on the Game Changers list, although whether it's actually third-best is extremely debatable), we still have at least three more to go before we start having to play anything truly terrible.

In other words, exactly like Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor, Demonic is pretty easy to skip on and still get where you need to be going.

3. Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe

(589,220 Inclusions, 24% of 2,409,772 Decks)

I'm often ridiculed for saying things like "two is so much more than one", and while I understand the catty response of "it's one more", I think I now have a good example to try to illustrate my point.

I routinely pay for Rhystic StudyRhystic Study. I can count on a single hand the games where I have paid for a Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe.

No, in reality, Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe will usually pay for itself in the turn cycle you've played it, if not actually net you mana.

And in white, that kind of ramp isn't just rare, it's completely unheard of. In other words, if you're not in one of the better ramp colors like green or black, then Smothering TitheSmothering Tithe is probably one of your three Game Changers.

2. Rhystic StudyRhystic Study

(691,293 Inclusions, 27% of 2,514,784 Decks)

Rhystic StudyRhystic Study is another irreplaceable card, in that there's nothing that does what it does quite as well. So much so, that as much as I'm hoping we see most of the ban list go away in the wake of brackets, I'll actually be happier if we get around to banning this format-warping card at some point, as well.

If folks pulling out MirrormadeMirrormades, Steal EnchantmentSteal Enchantments, and even the extremely subpar Copy EnchantmentCopy Enchantment aren't an argument for the same things that got Dockside ExtortionistDockside Extortionist and Primeval TitanPrimeval Titan banned, then I'm not sure what is.

Throw in that this silly card uses annoyance as a game mechanic and even fools experienced players into playing poorly on the regular, to say nothing of new ones, and why on earth wouldn't we be banning it?

As for whether or not you play it in a c3dh deck, under the current circumstances? The answer is likely yes. The argument between this and The One RingThe One Ring is an interesting one, but for the majority of decks that aren't trying to win with an Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach or a commander that's on the Game Changer list, the answer is probably just to play both.

1. Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift

(692,416 Inclusions, 28% of 2,514,784 Decks)

There are a lot of board wipes in the world. There's a lot of spot removal out there. There are very few cards that can do both, and none that can do so at instant speed, outside of Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift. So you might think that this is an auto-include when it comes to your three Game Changers allowed in bracket three.

Only, I'm not sure that I agree? Sure, nothing does quite what Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift does, but a lot of cards do what one half of it does. Throwing in a board wipe and a piece of spot removal doesn't really replace Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift, per se, but does still give your deck all of the same capabilities, in a holistic sense.

Honorable Mentions

Well, why stop at ten? We've got 30 more cards to look at!

Top 40 Game Changers

11. Mystical TutorMystical Tutor - 372,082 Inclusions
12. Mana VaultMana Vault - 324,130
13. Chrome MoxChrome Mox - 322,428
14. Force of WillForce of Will - 278,805
15. Bolas's CitadelBolas's Citadel - 234,625
16. Mox DiamondMox Diamond - 225,030
17. Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle - 184,635
18. Opposition AgentOpposition Agent - 182,147
19. Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach - 153,315
20. Imperial SealImperial Seal - 152,943
21. Drannith MagistrateDrannith Magistrate - 149,272
22. Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle - 138,534
23. Grim MonolithGrim Monolith - 103,230
24. Urza, Lord High ArtificerUrza, Lord High Artificer - 93,209
25. Lion's Eye DiamondLion's Eye Diamond - 88,858
26. Trouble in PairsTrouble in Pairs - 73,282
27. Ad NauseamAd Nauseam - 76,381
28. Tergrid, God of FrightTergrid, God of Fright - 62,569
29. Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyKinnan, Bonder Prodigy - 60,040
30. Jin-Gitaxias, Core AugurJin-Gitaxias, Core Augur - 59,855
31. Vorinclex, Voice of HungerVorinclex, Voice of Hunger - 58,248
32. Grand Arbiter Augustin IVGrand Arbiter Augustin IV - 49,839
33. Survival of the FittestSurvival of the Fittest - 43,894
34. ExpropriateExpropriate - 40,545
35. Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow - 39,660
36. Glacial ChasmGlacial Chasm - 38,747
37. Serra's SanctumSerra's Sanctum - 32,152
38. TrinisphereTrinisphere - 24,374
39. Winota, Joiner of ForcesWinota, Joiner of Forces - 19,443
40. The Tabernacle at Pendrell ValeThe Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale - 7,476

I think the thing that's shocked me most about this whole adventure is how little actually changes for a lot of cEDH decks when they don't have access to all 40 of these cards.

Yeah, things seem to go a turn slower with ten-ish fast mana pieces missing from the format, but outside of that, most decks can operate in shockingly familiar fashion.

How do I know that? Well, because I built four c3dh decks and have been testing them, of course!

I started off with the top deck in the format, because well... It seemed like a reasonable place to start. It turns out, however, that making room for an Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach/Ad NauseamAd Nauseam-centric deck when you only have three Game Changer slots is difficult.

It also turns out that when you have to play more expensive cards instead of all that easy fast mana, Ad NauseamAd Nauseam isn't very good. So, with that in mind, I settled on my three Game Changers as Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach, the Lion's Eye DiamondLion's Eye Diamond to support it, and a Rhystic StudyRhystic Study to help out with general card draw.

To make things a little more robust, I added the Displacer KittenDisplacer Kitten/Teferi, Time RavelerTeferi, Time Raveler combo to the deck as well, and made the ultimate win-con GrapeshotGrapeshot/Brain FreezeBrain Freeze instead of Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle.

All in all, the deck still plays quite well, although as a preview for why I don't think it's still the best deck in c3dh, I will say that I didn't have to bend over backwards nearly as much for the other decks I built.

TnT is the other deck I would largely classify as "good stuff", except in this case the good stuff doesn't require a Game Changer like Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach.

Indeed, all TnT is ever looking to do is make infinite mana to then draw the whole deck with Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero.

The only issue? Almost all infinite mana combos that are usually played in cEDH are two-card, efficient combos, which are outlawed in the Upgraded (3) bracket.

The same way that that means none of these decks can play the Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle/Demonic ConsultationDemonic Consultation combo that is near ubiquitous in the format, it also means that TnT can't play things like Devoted DruidDevoted Druid and Swift ReconfigurationSwift Reconfiguration, or Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyKinnan, Bonder Prodigy and Basalt MonolithBasalt Monolith.

In fact, finding the line of where a two-card combo was no longer "efficient" was difficult, so I just defaulted things to three-card combos only. That's what allowed Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach shenanigans to work, and also allows for another line that is extremely popular in cEDH for a TnT deck that doesn't usually play it: Hullbreaker HorrorHullbreaker Horror loops.

Hullbreaker HorrorHullbreaker Horror

Sol RingSol Ring

Permanent that can be cast using {C}

Infinite colorless manaInfinite storm count

Commander Spellbook

For those unfamiliar, Hullbreaker HorrorHullbreaker Horror makes infinite mana with any mana-positive rock and another card you can cast for free.

That list includes a long list of cards, so while this is technically a three-card combo, it's essentially a one-card combo that goes infinite with cards you were going to be playing anyhow.

With that said, I did throw a couple more zero-cost cards into the deck in the form of Jeweled AmuletJeweled Amulet, Mishra's BaubleMishra's Bauble, Urza's BaubleUrza's Bauble, Tormod's CryptTormod's Crypt, and Paradise MantleParadise Mantle. That left more than enough room in the deck to include our three Game Changers as just the best cards I could find.

The first two were pretty easy, as stated in our top ten list: Rhystic StudyRhystic Study and The One RingThe One Ring are good enough at card draw that we won't need tutors.

The last ended up being Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyKinnan, Bonder Prodigy, as the deck plays so many rocks and mana dorks that it would be insane not to be using him.

All in all, this one was less clunky than Blue Farm. But I still felt like we could do better.

The tournament list of Magda, Brazen OutlawMagda, Brazen Outlaw only plays 11 cards that are restricted by the rules of the Upgraded (3) bracket. Six of those are Game Changers, with three more being Mass Land Denial (Blood MoonBlood Moon, Magus of the MoonMagus of the Moon & Tangle WireTangle Wire), and the last two being a hard-lock efficient combo (Karn, the Great CreatorKarn, the Great Creator & Mycosynth LatticeMycosynth Lattice).

In other words, I barely had to do any work to move this top ten deck over to c3dh, and there is little reason to believe that it will not be the same force to be reckoned with.

Magda can still routinely come down on turn one and immediately start making Treasures that will translate to a Clock of OmensClock of Omens that will go infinite with any artifact Dwarf.

Magda, Brazen OutlawMagda, Brazen Outlaw

Clock of OmensClock of Omens

Universal AutomatonUniversal Automaton

Infinite colored mana at your next untap phaseInfinite tapped Treasure tokensPut any number of artifacts and Dragons from your library onto the battlefieldPut all Dragon and artifact cards from your library onto the battlefield

Commander Spellbook

In other words, despite us including the other top decks in the format, I would fairly easily classify this as the deck to beat in c3dh. Luckily, it is a little bit of a glass cannon, as the whole deck revolves around Clock of OmensClock of Omens, but it's just going to farther and faster than other decks are going to be capable of with the various changes to what they can play.

As for what three cards I left in to keep Magda's edge? I decided on TrinisphereTrinisphere, a Stax card that technically isn't mass land denial but does nothing to stop our gameplan, as the first.

Keeping speed up was also a concern, so Jeska's WillJeska's Will also made the cut so we could power through for the expensive cards in the deck that we sometimes have to hard-cast like Portal to PhyrexiaPortal to Phyrexia and God-Pharaoh's StatueGod-Pharaoh's Statue.

Finally, for those games where our Clock of OmensClock of Omens is dealt with, I wanted to include a card-draw engine so the deck could go the distance for an Aggro win, and the best way to do that is easily The One RingThe One Ring.

As I said, I believe this is the deck to beat in our new format. There is another that is looking equally untarnished, however:

If you've ever played against Najeela, the Blade-BlossomNajeela, the Blade-Blossom at any power level, you're aware of just how much this card needed ten more minutes of thought put into it on the design table.

The first time she attacks, she makes a single Warrior that's tapped and attacking, resulting in four damage if she goes unblocked. The next combat, that becomes two more Warriors, for a sum total of four Warriors and six combat damage.

Four becomes eight, eight becomes 16, and by the time you get there you're looking at having dealt 38 damage to an opponent, even if you play no other cards than Najeela herself.

Well, the deck plays cards other than Najeela herself, and she herself also sports 113 combos, almost all of which are three-carders that will allow for infinite combat steps. This one does skirt the two-card combo restriction a bit more, however, as often a third card isn't needed so much as just a few additional combat steps with Najeela to make massive amounts of tokens.

I did cut Derevi, Empyrial TacticianDerevi, Empyrial Tactician, as he probably qualifies more as an efficient two-card combo with Najeela than most do, but there are others in the deck that still made the cut, being a bit less efficient or legitimately needing a third card.

As for the Game Changers, I settled on Gaea's CradleGaea's Cradle, which makes so much mana in this deck that it might as well be considered an infinite on its own, alongside--you guessed it--The One RingThe One Ring and Rhystic StudyRhystic Study.

The number one defense against Najeela is removing Najeela, so often you will have to go deep into a game with most of your deck in your hand to keep your win-cons alive, whether that be via going infinite with Najeela, or just ending up with enough creatures to kill the table through more mundane combat.

Either way, drawing an extra 20 cards is what's going to keep you with enough interaction to stay alive.

And there we have it: A starter pack to jumpstart c3dh Commander. Only, is bracket three the right place for this? Tune in next week, and we'll take a look at what else is possible.

Nuts and Bolts

There always seems to be a bit of interest in how these lists are made (this seems like a good time to stress once again that they are based on EDHREC score, NOT my personal opinion…), and people are often surprised that I’m not using any special data or .json from EDHREC, but rather just muddling my way through with some Scryfall knowledge! For your enjoyment/research, here is this week’s Scryfall search.

What Do You Think?

And finally, what Game Changers are you leaving in your Upgraded (3) decks? Have you tried c3dh? If so, with what deck?

Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you at the kids table at the cEDH tournament.

DougY

Doug has been an avid Magic player since Fallen Empires, when his older brother traded him some epic blue Homarids for all of his Islands. As for Commander, he's been playing since 2010, when he started off by making a two-player oriented G/R Land Destruction deck. Nailed it. In his spare time when he's not playing Magic, writing about Magic or doing his day job, he runs a YouTube channel or two, keeps up a College Football Computer Poll, and is attempting to gif every scene of the Star Wars prequels.