Silver and Gold
We are back again, faithful readers! My name is still Seth Cross (but my friends call me “DM”) and this is still Uncommonder, the series inspired by Dominaria’s plethora of legendary creatures printed at the uncommon rarity. There were twenty of the silver-stamped Commander options that Wizards of the Coast gave us to brew around, and they join the ranks of fifty-eight other Uncommonders from previous sets.
To celebrate how awesome Dominaria was for giving us these silver generals, we stated at the beginning of this series that we would look at all twenty Dominaria Uncommonders and even twenty of the previous Uncommonders, including legendary creatures that were initially at rare or mythic and have been downshifted over time to uncommon. So far, we have covered [card]Zada, Hedron Grinder[/card] and [card]Iwamori of the Open Fist[/card]. Since we looked at [card]Tatyova, Benthic Druid[/card] last week, this week we are going old-school once again! I asked the fine members of my Discord server to give me four options from the list and then put up a Twitter poll to see what you, the people, wanted me to try to bend and break! This week, the poll was between [card]Sosuke, Son of Seshiro[/card], [card]Radiant, Archangel[/card], [card]Nagao, Bound by Honor[/card], and this week’s winner…
Jalira, Master Polymorphist!
There are a few important factors I want to point out about Jalira, just so that we fully understand how the commander works. First, her ability requires her to tap, so untap shenanigans (such as [card]Master Puppeteer[/card]) are a definite possibility. Second, her ability requires her to sacrifice another creature, so she cannot sacrifice herself to her own ability. This is not anything extremely detrimental to Jalira’s power level, but it is important to note. If anyone tries to target Jalira with a spell, we cannot use her ability to save her from being stolen or in response to a removal spell. Third, her ability states that the “found” card must be nonlegendary. This means we cannot turn a token into an [card]Emrakul, the Promised End[/card] like the infamous [card]Baral, Chief of Compliance[/card] “Polymorph Emrakul” deck that dominated 1v1 Commander when Wizards created that variant of the format.
Fourth, the sacrificed creature does not have to be nontoken, so that gives us a bit of room to play with certain powerful cards like [card]Talrand, Sky Summoner[/card]. Creating tokens gives us fodder to dig the other cool creatures out of our deck. The fifth and final detail we want to take notice of is that Jalira’s ability does not state we cast the creature spell, we merely put it into play. While that sounds great (because it means we do not have to pay costs) it does create a 'nonbo' synergy with some cards that measure on-cast triggers, such as the new [card]Sai, Master Thopterist[/card].
I think that's everything we need to remember about Jalira. Let us turn to her EDHREC page and look for the highest-percentage synergy cards so we can start with a “Precon” Average Decklist for her. From there, we'll look at some possible niche strategies and think about making Jalira in some fun and unexpected ways. This is what the EDHREC Precon list might look like:
Jalira, EDHREC Precon
View on ArchidektCommander (1)
- 1 Jalira, Master PolymorphistJalira, Master Polymorphist
Creature (26)
- 1 ArchaeomancerArchaeomancer
- 1 Artisan of KozilekArtisan of Kozilek
- 1 Chasm SkulkerChasm Skulker
- 1 Clever ImpersonatorClever Impersonator
- 1 Consecrated SphinxConsecrated Sphinx
- 1 Diluvian PrimordialDiluvian Primordial
- 1 Docent of PerfectionDocent of Perfection
- 1 Faerie ArtisansFaerie Artisans
- 1 Frost TitanFrost Titan
- 1 Inkwell LeviathanInkwell Leviathan
- 1 It That BetraysIt That Betrays
- 1 Master of WavesMaster of Waves
- 1 Meloku the Clouded MirrorMeloku the Clouded Mirror
- 1 MulldrifterMulldrifter
- 1 Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere
- 1 Phyrexian IngesterPhyrexian Ingester
- 1 Reef WormReef Worm
- 1 Roil ElementalRoil Elemental
- 1 Scourge of FleetsScourge of Fleets
- 1 Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum
- 1 Stormtide LeviathanStormtide Leviathan
- 1 Talrand, Sky SummonerTalrand, Sky Summoner
- 1 Thopter AssemblyThopter Assembly
- 1 Void WinnowerVoid Winnower
- 1 WonderWonder
- 1 Wurmcoil EngineWurmcoil Engine
Enchantment (5)
- 1 Metallurgic SummoningsMetallurgic Summonings
- 1 Rhystic StudyRhystic Study
- 1 Skywise TeachingsSkywise Teachings
- 1 Thopter Spy NetworkThopter Spy Network
- 1 Training GroundsTraining Grounds
Artifact (18)
- 1 Bident of ThassaBident of Thassa
- 1 Caged SunCaged Sun
- 1 Druidic SatchelDruidic Satchel
- 1 Expedition MapExpedition Map
- 1 Gilded LotusGilded Lotus
- 1 Illusionist's BracersIllusionist's Bracers
- 1 Mirage MirrorMirage Mirror
- 1 Myr TurbineMyr Turbine
- 1 Nuisance EngineNuisance Engine
- 1 Proteus StaffProteus Staff
- 1 Sapphire MedallionSapphire Medallion
- 1 Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top
- 1 Sol RingSol Ring
- 1 Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots
- 1 Thousand-Year ElixirThousand-Year Elixir
- 1 Thran DynamoThran Dynamo
- 1 Trading PostTrading Post
- 1 Worn PowerstoneWorn Powerstone
Instant (8)
- 1 CounterspellCounterspell
- 1 Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift
- 1 Engulf the ShoreEngulf the Shore
- 1 Fated InfatuationFated Infatuation
- 1 Polymorphist's JestPolymorphist's Jest
- 1 PongifyPongify
- 1 Rapid HybridizationRapid Hybridization
- 1 Reality ShiftReality Shift
Land (37)
- 1 Field of RuinField of Ruin
- 1 Foundry of the ConsulsFoundry of the Consuls
- 1 Ghost QuarterGhost Quarter
- 1 Halimar DepthsHalimar Depths
- 25 IslandIsland
- 1 Memorial to GeniusMemorial to Genius
- 1 Minamo, School at Water's EdgeMinamo, School at Water's Edge
- 1 Myriad LandscapeMyriad Landscape
- 1 Nykthos, Shrine to NyxNykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- 1 Reliquary TowerReliquary Tower
- 1 Rogue's PassageRogue's Passage
- 1 Spawning BedSpawning Bed
- 1 Springjack PastureSpringjack Pasture
Sorcery (5)
- 1 Mass PolymorphMass Polymorph
- 1 PolymorphPolymorph
- 1 Rite of ReplicationRite of Replication
- 1 Saheeli's ArtistrySaheeli's Artistry
- 1 Whelming WaveWhelming Wave
One thing I noticed when looking through the list was the distinct lack of legendary creatures. It makes sense, since Jalira’s ability cannot find legendary creatures, but it also made me appreciate the few that we are running, as their abilities had to synergize even more than normal to warrant the spot in the deck. For instance, the powerful [card]Baral, Chief of Compliance[/card] is left out of the deck because his ability does not sync well with Jalira, but [card]Meloku the Clouded Mirror[/card] and [card]Talrand, Sky Summoner[/card] give us tokens that we can use as Jalira fuel. Speaking of tokens, I also think it could be clever to target our own creatures with something like [card]Pongify[/card] or [card]Rapid Hybridization[/card] if an opponent tries to exile one of our minions. We still lose our creature, but it goes to our graveyard instead of the exile zone and we replace it with a token that Jalira can later turn into something else! Clever!
Polymorph? Articraft!
One of the first things I notice when I look at the EDHREC Precon-style list is that there are quite a few artifact creatures. This makes sense, as some of them tend to have interesting death triggers (looking at you, [card]Wurmcoil Engine[/card], not to mention everyone’s favorite, [card]Solemn Simulacrum[/card]). These give us added value to sacrificing our creatures to find other creatures. Even better, artifact strategies tend to come with some recursion thanks to cards like [card]Junk Diver[/card], [card]Myr Retriever[/card], and another all-star that even makes tokens, [card]Trading Post[/card].
One of my favorite things about this kind of deck is that I can easily justify putting [card]Sai, Master Thopterist[/card] into the list for many of the same reasons as Talrand: tokens! Because this list wants a critical mass of artifacts, I think the synergy percentages of certain cards increase. Support cards like [card]Caged Sun[/card] work even better, while another new card from M19, [card]Tezzeret, Artifice Master[/card], fits nicely into the list. [card]Sharding Sphinx[/card] can make an army seemingly out of nowhere, and with enough artifact recursion, [card]Myr Battlesphere[/card] can churn out tokens constantly.
Card advantage is a staple of the blue portion of the color pie, so it should come as no surprise that the deck will most likely draw quite a few cards. The new [card]One with the Machine[/card] seems like fun for an artifact-based deck, especially since we will want to run high-cost cards like [card]Darksteel Colossus[/card] and [card]Blightsteel Colossus[/card] (if we truly enjoy making our friends hate us, anyway). If we cast that spell with our Colossi in play, that will be quite a large draw spell. I also enjoy the trick of activating Jalira tosacrifice [card]Mulldrifter[/card] in response to the Evoke trigger. This turns the [card]Mulldrifter[/card] you were going to lose anyway into another brand new creature. The value!
This is how I would build Jalira with an artifact focus. I used the Artifact Theme page from EDHREC to find things that did not appear on Jalira’s page, which helped me create the following:
Jalira, Articrafter
View on ArchidektCommander (1)
- 1 Jalira, Master PolymorphistJalira, Master Polymorphist
Creature (26)
- 1 Artificer's AssistantArtificer's Assistant
- 1 Blightsteel ColossusBlightsteel Colossus
- 1 Burnished HartBurnished Hart
- 1 Darksteel ColossusDarksteel Colossus
- 1 Etherium SculptorEtherium Sculptor
- 1 Sai, Master ThopteristSai, Master Thopterist
- 1 Jhoira's FamiliarJhoira's Familiar
- 1 Junk DiverJunk Diver
- 1 Master of EtheriumMaster of Etherium
- 1 Mishra's Self-ReplicatorMishra's Self-Replicator
- 1 MulldrifterMulldrifter
- 1 Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere
- 1 Myr RetrieverMyr Retriever
- 1 Palladium MyrPalladium Myr
- 1 Phyrexian MetamorphPhyrexian Metamorph
- 1 ScarecroneScarecrone
- 1 Scrap TrawlerScrap Trawler
- 1 Sharding SphinxSharding Sphinx
- 1 Shimmer MyrShimmer Myr
- 1 Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum
- 1 Steel HellkiteSteel Hellkite
- 1 Thopter AssemblyThopter Assembly
- 1 Torrential GearhulkTorrential Gearhulk
- 1 Trinket MageTrinket Mage
- 1 Trophy MageTrophy Mage
- 1 Wurmcoil EngineWurmcoil Engine
Planeswalker (3)
- 1 Tezzeret the SeekerTezzeret the Seeker
- 1 Ugin, the Spirit DragonUgin, the Spirit Dragon
- 1 Tezzeret, Artifice MasterTezzeret, Artifice Master
Artifact (18)
- 1 Basalt MonolithBasalt Monolith
- 1 Blinkmoth UrnBlinkmoth Urn
- 1 Caged SunCaged Sun
- 1 Darksteel ForgeDarksteel Forge
- 1 Expedition MapExpedition Map
- 1 Gilded LotusGilded Lotus
- 1 Hedron ArchiveHedron Archive
- 1 Mirage MirrorMirage Mirror
- 1 MirrorworksMirrorworks
- 1 Nevinyrral's DiskNevinyrral's Disk
- 1 Paradox EngineParadox Engine
- 1 Planar BridgePlanar Bridge
- 1 Rings of BrighthearthRings of Brighthearth
- 1 Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top
- 1 Sol RingSol Ring
- 1 Staff of NinStaff of Nin
- 1 Thran DynamoThran Dynamo
- 1 Trading PostTrading Post
Instant (8)
- 1 CounterspellCounterspell
- 1 Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift
- 1 DisallowDisallow
- 1 Essence ScatterEssence Scatter
- 1 PongifyPongify
- 1 Rapid HybridizationRapid Hybridization
- 1 Reality ShiftReality Shift
- 1 StifleStifle
Land (35)
- 1 Academy RuinsAcademy Ruins
- 1 Field of RuinField of Ruin
- 1 Foundry of the ConsulsFoundry of the Consuls
- 1 Ghost QuarterGhost Quarter
- 1 Inventors' FairInventors' Fair
- 24 IslandIsland
- 1 Minamo, School of Water's EdgeMinamo, School of Water's Edge
- 1 Spawning BedSpawning Bed
- 1 Reliquary TowerReliquary Tower
- 1 Strip MineStrip Mine
- 1 Tomb of the Spirit DragonTomb of the Spirit Dragon
- 1 Zhalfirin VoidZhalfirin Void
Sorcery (5)
- 1 FabricateFabricate
- 1 One with the MachineOne with the Machine
- 1 Mass PolymorphMass Polymorph
- 1 Rite of ReplicationRite of Replication
- 1 Saheeli's ArtistrySaheeli's Artistry
Enchantment (4)
- 1 Metallurgic SummoningsMetallurgic Summonings
- 1 Rhystic StudyRhystic Study
- 1 The Antiquities WarThe Antiquities War
- 1 Thopter Spy NetworkThopter Spy Network
Under the Sea with Jalira's Fishy Friends!
Most of the highest-synergy cards for Jalira make tokens. One of them catches my eye because I used to love running it in my old [card]Grimgrin, Corpse-Born[/card] Tribal Zombie deck: [card]Reef Worm[/card]. This card is interesting because we get more and more value every time we sacrifice it and its tokens, until we wind up with a huge 9/9 Kraken. I have played against decks with some very fun themes, and one of them was a friend’s [card]Thassa, God of the Sea[/card] 'Sea Creature Tribal' deck, filled with Crabs, Octopi, Krakens, and more. Another Uncommonder that this series will eventually cover from Dominaria is [card]Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep[/card], which seems like a match made in heaven for this kind of “tribal” synergy.
I also noticed [card]Chasm Skulker[/card] had a high synergy percentage on Jalira’s recommendations, and I knew we could make quite a splash (haha!) with the creatures of the deep! I wanted to start with some of the biggest and baddest creatures in the deep blue (I did not originally mean to make that joke, but there we go) so naturally, Krakens are priority number one. There are eleven mono-blue Krakens in the game if we count [card]Awoken Horror[/card], the flip side of [card]Thing in the Ice[/card]. Since [card]Awoken Horror[/card] has a mass bounce effect, I think it can keep the honorary include. I included seven of these Krakens; three just did not seem great, even in a fun deck like this, and [card]Tromokratis[/card] is a legendary creature and therefore a nonbo with Jalira’s ability.
With a focus on sea creatures, [card]Whelming Wave[/card] seems like a great control card, since we'll keep our biggest creatures while bouncing the rest. I once locked a game up for several turns with Wave and [card]Archaeomancer[/card], so we can definitely include that synergy to keep our big fish dominant. We run a bit of a risk adding a card like [card]Breaching Leviathan[/card] because we might accidentally pull it onto the field with Jalira and miss out on the mass tap effect, but I think there is enough value to try it out. Toss in some card draw and mana rocks and we get a list that looks like this:
Jalira of the Deep
View on ArchidektCommander (1)
- 1 Jalira, Master PolymorphistJalira, Master Polymorphist
Creature (30)
- 1 ArchaeomancerArchaeomancer
- 1 Breaching LeviathanBreaching Leviathan
- 1 Burnished HartBurnished Hart
- 1 Chasm SkulkerChasm Skulker
- 1 Clever ImpersonatorClever Impersonator
- 1 Deep-Sea KrakenDeep-Sea Kraken
- 1 Deepchannel MentorDeepchannel Mentor
- 1 Godhunter OctopusGodhunter Octopus
- 1 Inkwell LeviathanInkwell Leviathan
- 1 Kederekt LeviathanKederekt Leviathan
- 1 Kraken of the StraitsKraken of the Straits
- 1 Master of WavesMaster of Waves
- 1 Meloku the Clouded MirrorMeloku the Clouded Mirror
- 1 MulldrifterMulldrifter
- 1 Phyrexian MetamorphPhyrexian Metamorph
- 1 Reef WormReef Worm
- 1 Roil ElementalRoil Elemental
- 1 Scourge of FleetsScourge of Fleets
- 1 Sealock MonsterSealock Monster
- 1 Serpent of the Endless SeaSerpent of the Endless Sea
- 1 Shipbreaker KrakenShipbreaker Kraken
- 1 Slinn Voda, the Rising DeepSlinn Voda, the Rising Deep
- 1 Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum
- 1 Stormsurge KrakenStormsurge Kraken
- 1 Stormtide LeviathanStormtide Leviathan
- 1 Talrand, Sky SummonerTalrand, Sky Summoner
- 1 Thassa, God of the SeaThassa, God of the Sea
- 1 Thing in the IceThing in the Ice
- 1 Tidal KrakenTidal Kraken
- 1 WonderWonder
Instant (12)
- 1 CounterspellCounterspell
- 1 Cryptic CommandCryptic Command
- 1 Cyclonic RiftCyclonic Rift
- 1 DisallowDisallow
- 1 DissipateDissipate
- 1 Fact or FictionFact or Fiction
- 1 PongifyPongify
- 1 Rapid HybridizationRapid Hybridization
- 1 Reality ShiftReality Shift
- 1 Spell SwindleSpell Swindle
- 1 Swan SongSwan Song
- 1 Wizard's RetortWizard's Retort
Artifact (9)
- 1 Bident of ThassaBident of Thassa
- 1 Caged SunCaged Sun
- 1 Expedition MapExpedition Map
- 1 Gilded LotusGilded Lotus
- 1 Hedron ArchiveHedron Archive
- 1 Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves
- 1 Sapphire MedallionSapphire Medallion
- 1 Sol RingSol Ring
- 1 Thran DynamoThran Dynamo
Enchantment (4)
- 1 Imprisoned in the MoonImprisoned in the Moon
- 1 Metallurgic SummoningsMetallurgic Summonings
- 1 Rhystic StudyRhystic Study
- 1 Thopter Spy NetworkThopter Spy Network
Land (38)
- 1 Field of RuinField of Ruin
- 1 Foundry of the ConsulsFoundry of the Consuls
- 1 Ghost QuarterGhost Quarter
- 1 Halimar DepthsHalimar Depths
- 27 IslandIsland
- 1 Memorial to GeniusMemorial to Genius
- 1 Minamo, School at Water's EdgeMinamo, School at Water's Edge
- 1 Myriad LandscapeMyriad Landscape
- 1 Nykthos, Shrine to NyxNykthos, Shrine to Nyx
- 1 Reliquary TowerReliquary Tower
- 1 Rogue's PassageRogue's Passage
- 1 Strip MineStrip Mine
Sorcery (6)
- 1 Crush of TentaclesCrush of Tentacles
- 1 Flow of IdeasFlow of Ideas
- 1 Rise from the TidesRise from the Tides
- 1 Rite of ReplicationRite of Replication
- 1 Wash OutWash Out
- 1 Whelming WaveWhelming Wave
The more I write about these uncommon Commanders, the more I fall in love with them. This article flowed easily (like water? Ha!) and I think that speaks to how well-designed Jalira is as a legendary creature. As the game continues to evolve with new sets, mechanics, and overall new power levels, I do understand Jalira's shift from rare to uncommon. With that said, I do not think Jalira or her fellow downshifted-to-uncommon colleague [card]Zada, Hedron Grinder[/card] are unplayable, and I look forward to bringing you more fun ways to bend and break these kinds of Silver Saviors. I would like to offer a quick shout out to the folks on my Discord server for helping with the options for the polls and the folks who follow me on Twitter for making the decision (so I do not have to!) Feel free to follow me there or join the Discord if you want to help, too!
Until next time, drop those big (fishy) bombs!
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