EDHREC stands for “Elder Dragon Highlander RECommendations.” EDH was the original name for Commander before Wizards confirmed it as an official format in 2011. It’s extremely fun (millions play it, after all), but the mountain called “deckbuilding” can be daunting, especially once you consider format-specific rules. This is the largest category as many of these effects overlap with other packages. Archmage Emeritus, for example, draws us cards whenever we cast a spell. Meanwhile, Storm-Kiln Artist supplies us with treasure tokens.
It could be making a treasure, dealing damage, making a token, drawing a card. Let’s try to strap as many little extra effects on our spells as we can. With a 99-card deck and 23,000 cards to choose from, it can be daunting to build a deck. This is why I suggest we don’t focus on individual cards, rather on individual packages. Deciding to play mid-power, also opens up my card pool a little bit.
But any commander that can exploit the ETB mechanic can be used as a token payoff, like Purphoros, God of the Forge. Commanders like Phenax, God of Deception fall in the first category, while commanders like Grolnok, the Omnivore, and Sidisi, Brood Tyrant fall in the second. Sliver Queen, Ezuri, Renegade Leader, and General Tazri are examples of commanders that fall into this category. Below, you see a screenshot of the author’s User Interface for their Protection Paladin, outlining which addons are used and how they are utilized edh deck in Mythic+ to make your life easier. @player macros allow you to skip slow mouseover macros, potentially saving you from death.
Mana Base
In other words, your packages shouldn’t exceed a total of 63 cards at first – you may find it appropriate to adjust this ratio later on. After clicking on the theme, you’ll be able to see a list of the most popular commanders for that specific theme. Since we’re working with a budget of $20, you’ll want your cards to be under 25 cents if possible, which includes your commander – unless you’re choosing not to count the cost of your commander. Another good thing about budget decks is that they are inherently less powerful than high-end decks. Sure, it can be, but if you’re playing with a mixture of inexperienced and experienced players, it can level the playing field.
Sometimes, cards with instant speed that contain graveyard recursion can even be used as protection by bringing back your whole board from a board wipe turning it into a one-sided board wipe. Other times recursion can be used repeatedly leading to great card and board advantage. So the first and more important rule is that there are no set rules on building a commander deck. I want to cast lots of spells and eventually win by finding a combo piece or amassing an advantage through spell-based synergies.
Commander Combos
The plan there is to cycle a bunch of creatures into the graveyard and then use mass excavation effects, like Living End, to bring them all back to the battlefield. The best part is that you can use Codie, Vociferous Codex’s ability to cast it for free by casting a one mana instant or sorcery and searching for it. Most commanders can be used as a foundation for a lot of different strategies. Wort, the Raidmother can be used as a goblin tribe leader, but it’s also really suited for a spellslinger EDH deck. Changing the theme changes the recommendations that the page gives you. “By Budget” caters the recommendations to what you can afford, and “Any” is a balanced setting that looks more at synergy rather than cost.
It’s not just a glut of card options you’ll be cutting down on but also your time fixing mana. I don’t know about you, but assembling a pile of lands to power my EDH decks is always an annoying final hurdle when it comes to finishing off my latest 99. We’re being more proactive with a list of reasons why I believe monocolored decks to not only be fun and underappreciated, but also why it might be your next deck building challenge. Commander is the format to let your skills and desires as a deckbuilder shine. The purpose of the format is to do cool and flashy things instead of always doing the most powerful or correct thing, and that subjectivity to deckbuilding is what makes the format.
Step 1: What does your Commander deck do?
Moving forward you may need to refine things if it doesn’t play well. However, I’ve found that the more you use this method the better you get at assembling cohesive lists this way. Once this pile is complete, you’ll be able to combine all your piles and have a 100-card Commander deck!
These slip-ups become more apparent when you lay your deck out like this. Spreading your Commander deck across the table based on function is a great way to work on some of the above tips. Let’s say you’ve decided once and for all that Veyran is a storm deck and lay it out in piles. Your ramp pieces go in one pile, card draw in another, and so on until you find a few stray cards that don’t fit with any group.
I am also lumping in cost-reducing effects here as I don’t need an overabundance of ramp. There are some simple rocks all at two mana and the cost reducers consist of a Goblin Electromancer, Rowan Scholar of Sparks, and Baral Chief of Compliance. Some packages are pretty universal and will be solid picks in any deck. For instance, every deck wants removal, ramp, and card draw. Despite what I said at the beginning of this section, drawing cards in isolation is not even enough to win the game. Absent of cards like Laboratory Maniac and Thassa’s Oracle, drawing cards alone actually knocks you out.
Eldrazi Unbound is colorless and headed by Zhulodok, Void Gorger with a strong emphasis on the cascade keyword ability. After six mana to cast your commander, you’ll get great card advantage as long as you use the mana rocks to accelerate to the 7+ costing cards. It’s important to keep a mix of mana values in this deck so you can reap huge value when your eldrazi-sized spells result in two more strong spells. Alesha, Who Smiles at Death costs 2R, however she has B/W in her card text, so a deck with Alesha as commander could include cards with the color identity White, Black, and Red. One of the fears of combo decks is that combo pieces will be frittered away or removed, perhaps exiled, and the combo can never be achieved.
Combo decks usually try to exploit your commander’s abilities to take over tables and games once they resolve. Let me know what reasons you think players should bear in mind when deciding if they should grab a mono deck. Don’t forget to join us next week for more mono leaning madness.