Behind the Scenes: The Decklists

The Show-runner

So, I don’t know if Mothneb actually plays through the Commander equivalent game on the Congressman’s branch, but I actually pulled out the folding table from the garage and played through the date night game myself. Took five pages of handwritten notes. While I'm not typing out those notes for a BTS chapter, I will provide some comments and decklists, if you are curious. The last time I updated my decks was Duskmorne; I would probably have ended up tweaking things since if I had a regular play group; the Commander pre-cons have started to finish off dual cycles that I’d prefer over, say, the Temples (this is especially apparent in the Zacama deck). They are presented in the real commander’s alphabetical order. Also, apologies for not linking every card and some sorting weirdness; for some reason my deck list app decided to give me the decklists in reverse alphabetical order instead of something sensible. Enjoy:

Amareth Primal Surge

Tyalangan’s deck is built around Primal Surge, a silly ten mana sorcery. Basically, if this deck can resolve Primal Surge, I can flip the entire deck onto the battlefield, with redundant “Lab Man” effects and enough ETB card draw triggers to win on the spot. There is a combat backup if they can somehow stifle my card draw win (Craterhoof giving a very large Power and Toughness boost and keyword Odric making sure everyone has haste and trample).

As far as this game is concerned, Tyalangan did not draw enough removal and zero card draw effects. Needing to rely on the 6-mana commander to dig for answers is sub-optimal, especially when the control player had appropriate removal on hand.

Commander:

• 1 Amareth, the Lustrous

Creatures (43):

• 1 Noble Hierarch
• 1 Elvish Mystic
• 1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
• 1 Ice-Fang Coatl
• 1 The Reality Chip
• 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1 Rime Tender
• 1 Charming Prince
• 1 Guardian of Ghirapur
• 1 Laboratory Maniac
• 1 Helga, Skittish Seer
• 1 Topiary Stomper
• 1 Faeburrow Elder
• 1 Wood Elves
• 1 Circle of Dreams Druid
• 1 Fierce Empath
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Shaman of Forgotten Ways
• 1 Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
• 1 Augur of Autumn
• 1 Knight of Autumn
• 1 Soulherder
• 1 Flickerwisp
• 1 Glen Elendra Archmage
• 1 Venser, Shaper Savant
• 1 Odric, Lunarch Marshal
• 1 Mystic Snake
• 1 Brago, King Eternal
• 1 Restoration Angel
• 1 Angel of Finality
• 1 Beast Whisperer
• 1 Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
• 1 Ohran Frostfang
• 1 Acidic Slime
• 1 Peregrine Drake
• 1 Cloudblazer
• 1 Roon of the Hidden Realm
• 1 Soul of the Harvest
• 1 Deadeye Navigator
• 1 Kodama of the East Tree
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Scourge of Fleets
• 1 Craterhoof Behemoth

Planeswalkers (2):

• 1 Kasmina, Enigma Sage
• 1 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries

Sorcery (1):

• 1 Primal Surge

Artifacts (7):

• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Simic Signet
• 1 Selesnya Signet
• 1 Azorius Signet
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Decanter of Endless Water
• 1 Panharmonicon

Enchantments (9):

• 1 On Thin Ice
• 1 Cream of the Crop
• 1 Grasp of Fate
• 1 Imprisoned in the Moon
• 1 Leyline of Anticipation
• 1 Teleportation Circle
• 1 Guardian Project
• 1 Virtue of Knowledge
• 1 Mirari's Wake

Lands (37):

• 1 Temple of Mystery
• 1 Temple Garden
• 1 Sunpetal Grove
• 1 Spara's Headquarters
• 2 Snow-Covered Plains
• 4 Snow-Covered Island
• 5 Snow-Covered Forest
• 1 Sea of Clouds
• 1 Scrying Sheets
• 1 Scavenger Grounds
• 1 Scattered Groves
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Rejuvenating Springs
• 1 Prairie Stream
• 1 Mosswort Bridge
• 1 Krosan Verge
• 1 Irrigated Farmland
• 1 Hinterland Harbor
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Glacial Fortress
• 1 Flooded Strand
• 1 Field of Ruin
• 1 Fabled Passage
• 1 Dryad Arbor
• 1 Dreamroot Cascade
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Canopy Vista
• 1 Breeding Pool
• 1 Bountiful Promenade

Kadena Morph

Andromeda got my BUG control deck, built around morph creatures. Like any Commander control deck, it normally wins by out annoying the table. I can theoretically win with Finale of Devastation plus Sagu Mauler(?), but the old standard dreaded Pickle Lock (Brine Elemental and Vesuvan Shapeshifter) denying everyone else their untap steps is the real wincon.

This deck did it’s thing. The new cards from Clue on Ravnica and Duskmorne sets felt good, too. I attempted to ensure that the two teams were balanced according to the brackets system, then, after the game, I saw that Seedborn Muse got added to the Game Changers list. Oops.

Commander:

• 1 Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer

Creatures (38):

• 1 Hooded Hydra
• 1 Icefeather Aven
• 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1 Stratus Dancer
• 1 Den Protector
• 1 Printlifter Ooze
• 1 Ainok Survivalist
• 1 Silumgar Assassin
• 1 Willbender
• 1 Kadena's Silencer
• 1 Skinthinner
• 1 Nervous Gardener
• 1 Exit Specialist
• 1 Hauntwoods Shrieker
• 1 Etrata, Deadly Fugitive
• 1 Deathmist Raptor
• 1 Grim Haruspex
• 1 Aphetto Exterminator
• 1 Vannifar, Evolved Enigma
• 1 Kheru Spellsnatcher
• 1 Experiment Twelve
• 1 Salt Road Ambushers
• 1 Bane of the Living
• 1 Nantuko Vigilante
• 1 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
• 1 Yedora, Grave Gardener
• 1 Hystrodon
• 1 Ixidor, Reality Sculptor
• 1 Ixidron
• 1 Chromeshell Crab
• 1 Seedborn Muse (Game Changer)
• 1 Soul Collector
• 1 Thousand Winds
• 1 Silent Specter
• 1 Sagu Mauler
• 1 Brine Elemental
• 1 Thieving Amalgam
• 1 Weaver of Lies

Planeswalkers (1):

• 1 Vivien, Champion of the Wilds

Instants (4):

• 1 Reality Shift
• 1 Heroic Intervention
• 1 Putrefy
• 1 Sultai Charm

Sorceries (10):

• 1 Rampant Growth
• 1 Farseek
• 1 Nature's Lore
• 1 Diabolic Intent
• 1 Three Visits
• 1 Finale of Devastation
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Search for Tomorrow
• 1 Skyshroud Claim
• 1 Ghastly Conscription

Artifacts (4):

• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Scroll of Fate
• 1 Panoptic Projektor

Enchantments (6):

• 1 Secret Plans
• 1 Trail of Mystery
• 1 Wilderness Reclamation
• 1 Leyline of Anticipation
• 1 Primordial Mist
• 1 Gift of Doom

Lands (37):

• 1 Zoetic Cavern
• 1 Zagoth Triome
• 1 Woodland Cemetery
• 1 Watery Grave
• 1 Twilight Mire
• 1 Thespian's Stage
• 1 Temple of Mystery
• 2 Swamp
• 1 Sunken Hollow
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Rejuvenating Springs
• 1 Polluted Delta
• 1 Overgrown Tomb
• 1 Myriad Landscape
• 1 Morphic Pool
• 4 Island
• 1 Hinterland Harbor
• 5 Forest
• 1 Flooded Grove
• 1 Field of Ruin
• 1 Fetid Pools
• 1 Fabled Passage
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Dreamroot Cascade
• 1 Deathcap Glade
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Breeding Pool
• 1 Branch of Vitu-Ghazi
• 1 Bojuka Bog

R&R Treasures

The goal of this deck: make a bunch of treasures, cast stuff off the top of opponents libraries for giggles, then eventually swing out with a swarm of animated artifacts.

Mattie got the bad beats this game. The game ended on Turn 9 and she had 3 lands. No card draw, no removal; she drew a counterspell, but Andromeda had one to add to the stack HH the time she was able to use it. Lantern of Insight in the opening hand did warp the game in an interesting way. I also really should find a spot for a Nev’s Disk (even though it’s super slow; there are not any really good artifact board wipes).

Commander:

• 1 Rashmi and Ragavan

Creatures (25):

• 1 Magda, Brazen Outlaw
• 1 Lonis, Cryptozoologist
• 1 Reckless Fireweaver
• 1 Forensic Gadgeteer
• 1 Xorn
• 1 Ingenious Artillerist
• 1 Hedron Detonator
• 1 Tireless Tracker
• 1 Trinket Mage
• 1 Jaheira, Friend of the Forest
• 1 Pain Distributor
• 1 Academy Manufactor
• 1 Professional Face-Breaker
• 1 Tireless Provisioner
• 1 Wizened Snitches
• 1 Galazeth Prismari
• 1 Whirler Rogue
• 1 Schema Thief
• 1 Vedalken Humiliator
• 1 Goldspan Dragon
• 1 Mizzix, Replica Rider
• 1 Shimmer Dragon
• 1 Cyberdrive Awakener
• 1 Hellkite Tyrant
• 1 Old Gnawbone

Instants (8):

• 1 Memory Lapse
• 1 Dramatic Reversal
• 1 Hinder
• 1 Chaos Warp
• 1 Second Harvest
• 1 Perplexing Test
• 1 Spell Swindle
• 1 Masterful Replication

Sorceries (8):

• 1 Vandalblast
• 1 Rise and Shine
• 1 Farseek
• 1 Fabricate
• 1 Crack Open
• 1 Skyshroud Claim
• 1 Thoughtcast
• 1 Reverse Engineer

Artifacts (15):

• 1 Sol Talisman
• 1 Lantern of Insight
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Wayfarer's Bauble
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Gruul Signet
• 1 Izzet Signet
• 1 Simic Signet
• 1 Unstable Amulet
• 1 Isochron Scepter
• 1 Inspiring Statuary
• 1 Decanter of Endless Water
• 1 Skyclave Relic
• 1 Unwinding Clock
• 1 The Belligerent

Enchantments (6):

• 1 Curse of Opulence
• 1 Ghirapur Aether Grid
• 1 Imprisoned in the Moon
• 1 Thopter Spy Network
• 1 Stolen Strategy
• 1 Rain of Riches

Lands (37):

• 1 Vineglimmer Snarl
• 1 Tree of Tales
• 1 Treasure Vault
• 1 Temple of Mystery
• 1 Temple of Epiphany
• 1 Tanglepool Bridge
• 1 Sulfur Falls
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Steam Vents
• 1 Slagwoods Bridge
• 1 Silverbluff Bridge
• 1 Sheltered Thicket
• 1 Seat of the Synod
• 1 Scavenger Grounds
• 1 Rootbound Crag
• 1 Mystic Sanctuary
• 1 Myriad Landscape
• 3 Mountain
• 1 Moonring Island
• 1 Misty Rainforest
• 1 Ketria Triome
• 3 Island
• 1 Hinterland Harbor
• 1 Great Furnace
• 3 Forest
• 1 Field of Ruin
• 1 Fabled Passage
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Cinder Glade
• 1 Breeding Pool
• 1 Academy Ruins

Zacama Landfall

Finally, Mona got my Zacama “Landfall” deck. This deck can play in two axes: the big dumb stompy deck and the infinite mana combo deck. Bare minimum effect of the infinite mana combo is infinite Zacama activations, which basically creates both a repeatable one-sided board wipe and infinite life.

Mona won by being stompy off of a Selvala’s Stampede. I actually did struggle with how everyone but Mattie would have voted. Mona had a full hand (and did brag about a cool card that she thought would win her the game) so an opponent voting Free was a riskier vote than normal. It was just that two of her Wild hits were really good (Omnath and Wayward Swordtooth) and her free hit was Gisela. Double damage plus being able to make two to three angry elemental tokens per turn is a hard combination to overcome. Hit the comments if you can find the infinite mana line(s).

Commander:

• 1 Zacama, Primal Calamity

Creatures (27):

• 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1 Nissa, Vastwood Seer // Nissa, Sage Animist
• 1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
• 1 Wood Elves
• 1 Azusa, Lost but Seeking
• 1 Fierce Empath
• 1 Ramunap Excavator
• 1 Knight of the Reliquary
• 1 Scute Swarm
• 1 Huatli, Poet of Unity
• 1 Wayward Swordtooth
• 1 Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma
• 1 Surrak, the Hunt Caller
• 1 Temur Sabertooth
• 1 Titania, Protector of Argoth
• 1 Nesting Dragon
• 1 Seedborn Muse (Game Changer)
• 1 Urabrask the Hidden
• 1 Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth // Temple of Cultivation
• 1 Karametra, God of Harvests
• 1 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
• 1 Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar
• 1 Ulvenwald Hydra
• 1 Regal Behemoth
• 1 Avenger of Zendikar
• 1 Omnath, Locus of Rage
• 1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight

Instants (8):

• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Boros Charm
• 1 Eladamri's Call
• 1 Heroic Intervention
• 1 Chord of Calling
• 1 Archdruid's Charm
• 1 Realms Uncharted
• 1 Return of the Wildspeaker

Sorceries (15):

• 1 Wildest Dreams
• 1 Green Sun's Zenith
• 1 Vandalblast
• 1 Farseek
• 1 Nature's Lore
• 1 Three Visits
• 1 Finale of Devastation
• 1 Grow from the Ashes
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Genesis Wave
• 1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
• 1 Splendid Reclamation
• 1 Selvala's Stampede
• 1 Rishkar's Expertise
• 1 Blasphemous Act

Artifacts (5):

• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 Thaumatic Compass // Spires of Orazca
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Lifecrafter's Bestiary
• 1 Crucible of Worlds

Enchantments (6):

• 1 Rhythm of the Wild
• 1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc // Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun
• 1 Fires of Yavimaya
• 1 Mirari's Wake
• 1 Warstorm Surge
• 1 Zendikar Resurgent

Lands (38):

• 1 Temple of Triumph
• 1 Temple of Plenty
• 1 Temple of Abandon
• 1 Temple Garden
• 1 Sunpetal Grove
• 1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Sheltered Thicket
• 1 Selesnya Sanctuary
• 1 Scavenger Grounds
• 1 Scattered Groves
• 1 Sanctum of Eternity
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Rootbound Crag
• 1 Plains
• 2 Mountain
• 1 Mosswort Bridge
• 1 Lotus Field
• 1 Krosan Verge
• 1 Jetmir's Garden
• 1 Gruul Turf
• 8 Forest
• 1 Flamekin Village
• 1 Field of Ruin
• 1 Fabled Passage
• 1 Dryad Arbor
• 1 Clifftop Retreat
• 1 Cinder Glade
• 1 Canopy Vista
• 1 Arena of Glory