Animitzi
1.9k views41 days ago
Commander
Size: 100Salt sum: 46.13
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{"ops":[{"insert":"The heart of this deck is to pick apart the battlefield with an endless supply of small spells. This deck is fundamentally a tap go control deck. Hold up as much mana as possible for instant speed interaction, bring out Nymris to keep the engine running, and close the game out with a nasty reanimation. This is my signature deck. \n\n=====\n\nThis is my interpretation of a control deck that has been tuned for commander. It's also a lesson in just because you can doesn't mean you should. Commander is generally a format people don't try too hard or sweat too much over; this deck goes against those norms. By doing so, this deck is prone to creating non games for your opponents where they would normally be able to run their gameplan more freely, and with that, bad vibes and frustration.\n\nOn the flip side, this is the most rewarding deck I ever played. I love this deck more than any other. If you want to win the game by running the entire table out of resources, this deck is one way to do it.\n\n=====\n\nA controlling deck is a deck with tons of disrupting and controlling elements, full of forms of stax or interaction, and doesn't nessisarily define the main purpose of what a deck is trying to do. When people hear the word 'control deck' I believe this is often what they think of. So lets get on the same page, because when I type the words 'this deck is a control deck' I mean something different. This deck, a control deck, is fundamentally a deck with an entirely unique goal and win condition. Thinking of control decks as being akin to alternate win conditions like poison counters and mill decks might be helpful.\n\nSo, what is a control win condition? In my words it means your opponents have been incapacitated, not by mechanically losing the game, but by having no way left to win the game, at which point you can mechanically win any way you choose. you can technically have a 1/1 human do 40 life to 3 opponents over the course of 120 turns, or you could do an ad naus combo at instant speed to immediately finish off the game; how you mechanically win is aside the point of a control deck. the thing that defines a control win condition is that you somehow got the game to a state where your opponents clearly wouldn't be able to lift a finger to stop you for 120 turns in a row, at which point, the game is already over despite the fact your 1/1 human hasn't dealt a single lifepoint of damage. \n\nHow does "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"this "},{"insert":"deck control the game? For starters, limit the card draw and the card quality of your opponents. A card that draws 3 cards is bad for the next deck, but a nightmare for this deck. Commanders like mrs. bumbleflower are often delete-on-sight. Seperatly, many decks are trying to get their big baddies out. Whether its an insane commander or a 10cmc spell, you do not want to let this stuff resolve unchecked.\n\nIn a 1v1 this is a somewhat straightfoward thing to do to somebody. In a free for all game mode, this can be nebulous and difficult to define. As a control deck, you start with 7 cards and draw 1 per turn cycle by default. your opponents start with a collective 21 plus the three they draw every turn cycle, including some of the most broken jank ever printed, all designed to kick your teeth in or get completely out of control as quickly and violently as possible. How do you win despite these odds? Try countering everything remotely scary and you might find your hand empty and game over before anything has truly begun. Like most things in life, its a matter of finding a workable angle, a certain perspective, the secret to control in commander: Who says "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"WE "},{"insert":"have to be the one doing the controlling?\n\n\n=====\n\nFree for all games are inherently uncompetitive. You can be the bestest, strongest most talented control player with the most broken control deck..... only to get teamed up on and wiped off the table before the game begins in earnest. When you play control in most pods, you are basically signing up for this to happen. What can be done?\n\nI had an incarnation of this deck with all the best dimir staples. Free counterspells and cheap tutors galore. I lost 20 games with that deck vs my chill bracket 3 table before I got a single victory. I then made a controlling mono red deck with super low card quality. I won about 18 or so games and lost only 3 before I took it apart. My crap mono red badstuff deck was more successful at controlling than my cracked dimir hard control deck. Why? Because I lacked something important, I lacked the subtle touch.\n\nIn commander, if your pod unanimously thinks somebody is clearly winning, then it becomes a 1v3 until the pod changes thier mind. There are a lot of different reasons why an arbitrary group of 3 opponents with unique personalities could individually come to this conclusion. One reason that I think works unanimously on most people is making an entomb-reanimation play on turn 2. Put yourself in the line of fire, and you will get shot. Let somebody else walk into the line of fire, and you can be certain they will draw the ire of your enemies. Your opponents might collectivly have triple the cards you do, but with a little bit of creativity, you can create a gamestate and paint a picture where the obvious choice for your opponents is to waste their cards against each other. \n\nControl in commander is often the art of using every resource available, including your silver tongue, to steer the game a certain way. A problematic permanent isn't problematic if it gives you the space to cast Nymris without drawing more heat than the lead player. This decks weakness of having an artifact-enchantment blindspot isn't a weakness if it forces somebody else to have to be the one to use their removal on something. This is the secret to competitive free for all gaming, this is the secret to winning at commander, and it goes 10fold for this deck. \n\nThe subtle touch, it's a lesson that has had me dominate with this deck, but, perhaps to a fault. After all, why is it that we play games of commander? There's more to games than winning.\n\n=====\n\nThere is a time and a place for this deck. There is also a skill curve to it. Don't expect to be successful out of the gate. This is my warning. That being said, I think a lot of different players, particularly players looking go improve their game, could learn a lot from playing iterations on this deck.\n\nThe actual deck itself, it revolves around Nymris and adheres to arbitrary whims I have about what kinds of cards I do and don't like to play. The main happy path to a win is wait to play Nymris at a point where she won't draw too much heat while stifling your opponents card draw, and going on to reanimate Hullbreaker when you think you are in a position to 1v3 against whatever your opponents have left. Beyond this, it depends on the uncountable possibilities and complexities that a game of casual commander might have. I encourage anybody that has read this far to build this deck in some form and play with it. \n"}]}
Commander
Commander
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Big Creatures/Wincons
Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant
Whenever you cast an artifact, instant, or sorcery spell, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy. This ability triggers only once each turn. (A copy of a permanent spell becomes a token.)
Whenever an opponent casts an artifact, instant, or sorcery spell, counter that spell. This ability triggers only once each turn.
Whenever an opponent casts an artifact, instant, or sorcery spell, counter that spell. This ability triggers only once each turn.
Legendary Creature - Praetor Phyrexian
Nezahal, Primal Tide
This spell can't be countered.
You have no maximum hand size.
Whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, draw a card.
Discard three cards: Exile Nezahal. Return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
You have no maximum hand size.
Whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell, draw a card.
Discard three cards: Exile Nezahal. Return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Legendary Creature - Elder Dinosaur
Big Creatures/Wincons
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Boardwipe
Amphibian Downpour
Flash
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies. Copies become tokens.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature loses all abilities and is a blue Frog creature with base power and toughness 1/1.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies. Copies become tokens.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature loses all abilities and is a blue Frog creature with base power and toughness 1/1.
Enchantment - Aura
Boardwipe
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Cantrip/Draw
Cantrip/Draw
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Counterspell(ish)
Counterspell(ish)
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Land
Land
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Misc/Early Game Plays
Abhorrent Oculus
As an additional cost to cast this spell, exile six cards from your graveyard.
Flying
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, manifest dread. (Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature and the other into your graveyard. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)
Flying
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, manifest dread. (Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature and the other into your graveyard. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)
Creature - Eye
Misc/Early Game Plays
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Reanimate
Afterlife from the Loam
Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for .)
For each player, choose up to one target creature card in that player's graveyard. Put those cards onto the battlefield under your control. They're Zombies in addition to their other types.
For each player, choose up to one target creature card in that player's graveyard. Put those cards onto the battlefield under your control. They're Zombies in addition to their other types.
Sorcery
Animate Dead
Enchant creature card in a graveyard
When this Aura enters, if it's on the battlefield, it loses "enchant creature card in a graveyard" and gains "enchant creature put onto the battlefield with this Aura." Return enchanted creature card to the battlefield under your control and attach this Aura to it. When this Aura leaves the battlefield, that creature's controller sacrifices it.
Enchanted creature gets -1/-0.
When this Aura enters, if it's on the battlefield, it loses "enchant creature card in a graveyard" and gains "enchant creature put onto the battlefield with this Aura." Return enchanted creature card to the battlefield under your control and attach this Aura to it. When this Aura leaves the battlefield, that creature's controller sacrifices it.
Enchanted creature gets -1/-0.
Enchantment - Aura
Dance of the Dead
Enchant creature card in a graveyard
When this Aura enters, if it's on the battlefield, it loses "enchant creature card in a graveyard" and gains "enchant creature put onto the battlefield with this Aura." Put enchanted creature card onto the battlefield tapped under your control and attach this Aura to it. When this Aura leaves the battlefield, that creature's controller sacrifices it.
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, that player may pay . If the player does, untap that creature.
When this Aura enters, if it's on the battlefield, it loses "enchant creature card in a graveyard" and gains "enchant creature put onto the battlefield with this Aura." Put enchanted creature card onto the battlefield tapped under your control and attach this Aura to it. When this Aura leaves the battlefield, that creature's controller sacrifices it.
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, that player may pay . If the player does, untap that creature.
Enchantment - Aura
Necromancy
You may cast this spell as though it had flash. If you cast it any time a sorcery couldn't have been cast, the controller of the permanent it becomes sacrifices it at the beginning of the next cleanup step.
When this enchantment enters, if it's on the battlefield, it becomes an Aura with "enchant creature put onto the battlefield with Necromancy." Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control and attach this enchantment to it. When this enchantment leaves the battlefield, that creature's controller sacrifices it.
When this enchantment enters, if it's on the battlefield, it becomes an Aura with "enchant creature put onto the battlefield with Necromancy." Put target creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control and attach this enchantment to it. When this enchantment leaves the battlefield, that creature's controller sacrifices it.
Enchantment
Reanimate
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Spot Removal
Spot Removal
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Tutor/Recurr/Filter
Consult the Star Charts
Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.)
Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of lands you control. Put one of those cards into your hand. If this spell was kicked, put two of those cards into your hand instead. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of lands you control. Put one of those cards into your hand. If this spell was kicked, put two of those cards into your hand instead. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Instant
Mission Briefing
Surveil 2, then choose an instant or sorcery card in your graveyard. You may cast it this turn. If that spell would be put into your graveyard, exile it instead. (To surveil 2, look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest on top of your library in any order.)
Instant
Snapcaster Mage
Flash
When this creature enters, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. (You may cast that card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
When this creature enters, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. (You may cast that card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Creature - Human Wizard
Tutor/Recurr/Filter
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Anti Weenies
Anti Weenies
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Game Changer Limit
Game Changer Limit
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Inconsistent
Inconsistent
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Misc Ideas
Blightwing Bandit
Flying, deathtouch
Whenever you cast your first spell during each opponent's turn, look at the top card of that player's library, then exile it face down. You may play that card for as long as it remains exiled, and mana of any type can be spent to cast it.
Whenever you cast your first spell during each opponent's turn, look at the top card of that player's library, then exile it face down. You may play that card for as long as it remains exiled, and mana of any type can be spent to cast it.
Creature - Rogue Faerie
Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, surveil 1.
At the beginning of your end step, each opponent may sacrifice a nontoken creature of their choice. Each opponent who doesn't loses 2 life for each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard.
At the beginning of your end step, each opponent may sacrifice a nontoken creature of their choice. Each opponent who doesn't loses 2 life for each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard.
Legendary Creature - Wizard Elder
Fire Nation Occupation
When this enchantment enters, create a 2/2 red Soldier creature token with firebending 1. (Whenever it attacks, add . This mana lasts until end of combat.)
Whenever you cast a spell during an opponent's turn, create a 2/2 red Soldier creature token with firebending 1.
Whenever you cast a spell during an opponent's turn, create a 2/2 red Soldier creature token with firebending 1.
Enchantment
Glamdring
Equipped creature has first strike and gets +1/+0 for each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand with mana value less than or equal to that damage without paying its mana cost.
Equip
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand with mana value less than or equal to that damage without paying its mana cost.
Equip
Legendary Artifact - Equipment
Goryo's Vengeance
Return target legendary creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.
Splice onto Arcane (As you cast an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)
Splice onto Arcane (As you cast an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)
Instant - Arcane
Kaervek, the Punisher
Whenever you commit a crime, exile up to one target black card from your graveyard and copy it. You may cast the copy. If you do, you lose 2 life. (Targeting opponents, anything they control, and/or cards in their graveyards is a crime. Copies of permanent spells become tokens.)
Legendary Creature - Human Warlock
Mercurial Spelldancer
This creature can't be blocked.
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put an oil counter on this creature.
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may remove two oil counters from it. If you do, when you next cast an instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put an oil counter on this creature.
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may remove two oil counters from it. If you do, when you next cast an instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Creature - Rogue Phyrexian
Rescue from the Underworld
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature.
Choose target creature card in your graveyard. Return that card and the sacrificed card to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of your next upkeep. Exile Rescue from the Underworld.
Choose target creature card in your graveyard. Return that card and the sacrificed card to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of your next upkeep. Exile Rescue from the Underworld.
Instant
Toshiro Umezawa
Bushido 1 (Whenever this creature blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, you may cast target instant card from your graveyard. If that spell would be put into a graveyard, exile it instead.
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, you may cast target instant card from your graveyard. If that spell would be put into a graveyard, exile it instead.
Legendary Creature - Human Samurai
Toxrill, the Corrosive
At the beginning of each end step, put a slime counter on each creature you don't control.
Creatures you don't control get -1/-1 for each slime counter on them.
Whenever a creature you don't control with a slime counter on it dies, create a 1/1 black Slug creature token.
, Sacrifice a Slug: Draw a card.
Creatures you don't control get -1/-1 for each slime counter on them.
Whenever a creature you don't control with a slime counter on it dies, create a 1/1 black Slug creature token.
, Sacrifice a Slug: Draw a card.
Legendary Creature - Horror Slug
Transpose
Draw a card, then discard a card. You lose 1 life. If this spell was cast from your hand, create a 0/1 black Wizard creature token with "Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this token deals 1 damage to each opponent."
Rebound (If you cast this spell from your hand, exile it as it resolves. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast this card from exile without paying its mana cost.)
Rebound (If you cast this spell from your hand, exile it as it resolves. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast this card from exile without paying its mana cost.)
Instant
Visions of Dread
Target opponent puts a creature card of their choice from their graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
Flashback . This spell costs less to cast this way, where X is the greatest mana value of a commander you own on the battlefield or in the command zone. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Flashback . This spell costs less to cast this way, where X is the greatest mana value of a commander you own on the battlefield or in the command zone. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Sorcery
Water Gun Balloon Game
As this artifact enters, each player puts a pop! counter on "0."
Whenever a player casts a spell, move that player's pop! counter up one.
Whenever a player's pop! counter hits "5," that player creates a 5/5 pink Giant Teddy Bear creature token and resets all pop! counters to "0."
Whenever a player casts a spell, move that player's pop! counter up one.
Whenever a player's pop! counter hits "5," that player creates a 5/5 pink Giant Teddy Bear creature token and resets all pop! counters to "0."
Artifact
Waterbender's Restoration
As an additional cost to cast this spell, waterbend . (While paying a waterbend cost, you can tap your artifacts and creatures to help. Each one pays for .)
Exile X target creatures you control. Return those cards to the battlefield under their owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Exile X target creatures you control. Return those cards to the battlefield under their owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
Instant - Lesson
Wishing Well
: Put a coin counter on this artifact. When you do, you may cast target instant or sorcery card with mana value equal to the number of coin counters on this artifact from your graveyard without paying its mana cost. If that spell would be put into your graveyard, exile it instead. Activate only as a sorcery.
Artifact
Word of Command
Look at target opponent's hand and choose a card from it. You control that player until Word of Command finishes resolving. The player plays that card if able. While doing so, the player can activate mana abilities only if they're from lands that player controls and only if mana they produce is spent to activate other mana abilities of lands the player controls and/or to play that card. If the chosen card is cast as a spell, you control the player while that spell is resolving.
Instant
Xanathar, Guild Kingpin
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target opponent. Until end of turn, that player can't cast spells, you may look at the top card of their library any time, you may play the top card of their library, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast spells this way.
Legendary Creature - Beholder
Misc Ideas
(CTRL to add secondary)
Needs Blink Synergy
Nulldrifter
When you cast this spell, draw two cards.
Flying
Annihilator 1 (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices a permanent of their choice.)
Evoke (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it enters.)
Flying
Annihilator 1 (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices a permanent of their choice.)
Evoke (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it enters.)
Creature - Elemental Eldrazi
Needs Blink Synergy
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Needs Painter's Servant
Needs Painter's Servant
(CTRL to add secondary)
Nonbo
Metamorphosis Fanatic
Lifelink
When this creature enters, return up to one target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield with a lifelink counter on it.
Miracle (You may cast this card for its miracle cost when you draw it if it's the first card you drew this turn.)
When this creature enters, return up to one target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield with a lifelink counter on it.
Miracle (You may cast this card for its miracle cost when you draw it if it's the first card you drew this turn.)
Creature - Human Cleric
Nonbo
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Proven Effective
Proven Effective
(CTRL to add secondary)
Too Weak
Flash of Insight
Look at the top X cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Flashback—, Exile X blue cards from your graveyard. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost, then exile it. You can't exile Flash of Insight to pay for its own flashback cost.)
Flashback—, Exile X blue cards from your graveyard. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost, then exile it. You can't exile Flash of Insight to pay for its own flashback cost.)
Instant
Siphon Insight
Look at the top two cards of target opponent's library. Exile one of them face down and put the other on the bottom of that library. You may play the exiled card for as long as it remains exiled, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast that spell.
Flashback
Flashback
Instant
Too Weak
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Deck Info
Deck stats
CategoriesQtyOdds
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Deck extras (0)
Description
{"ops":[{"insert":"The heart of this deck is to pick apart the battlefield with an endless supply of small spells. This deck is fundamentally a tap go control deck. Hold up as much mana as possible for instant speed interaction, bring out Nymris to keep the engine running, and close the game out with a nasty reanimation. This is my signature deck. \n\n=====\n\nThis is my interpretation of a control deck that has been tuned for commander. It's also a lesson in just because you can doesn't mean you should. Commander is generally a format people don't try too hard or sweat too much over; this deck goes against those norms. By doing so, this deck is prone to creating non games for your opponents where they would normally be able to run their gameplan more freely, and with that, bad vibes and frustration.\n\nOn the flip side, this is the most rewarding deck I ever played. I love this deck more than any other. If you want to win the game by running the entire table out of resources, this deck is one way to do it.\n\n=====\n\nA controlling deck is a deck with tons of disrupting and controlling elements, full of forms of stax or interaction, and doesn't nessisarily define the main purpose of what a deck is trying to do. When people hear the word 'control deck' I believe this is often what they think of. So lets get on the same page, because when I type the words 'this deck is a control deck' I mean something different. This deck, a control deck, is fundamentally a deck with an entirely unique goal and win condition. Thinking of control decks as being akin to alternate win conditions like poison counters and mill decks might be helpful.\n\nSo, what is a control win condition? In my words it means your opponents have been incapacitated, not by mechanically losing the game, but by having no way left to win the game, at which point you can mechanically win any way you choose. you can technically have a 1/1 human do 40 life to 3 opponents over the course of 120 turns, or you could do an ad naus combo at instant speed to immediately finish off the game; how you mechanically win is aside the point of a control deck. the thing that defines a control win condition is that you somehow got the game to a state where your opponents clearly wouldn't be able to lift a finger to stop you for 120 turns in a row, at which point, the game is already over despite the fact your 1/1 human hasn't dealt a single lifepoint of damage. \n\nHow does "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"this "},{"insert":"deck control the game? For starters, limit the card draw and the card quality of your opponents. A card that draws 3 cards is bad for the next deck, but a nightmare for this deck. Commanders like mrs. bumbleflower are often delete-on-sight. Seperatly, many decks are trying to get their big baddies out. Whether its an insane commander or a 10cmc spell, you do not want to let this stuff resolve unchecked.\n\nIn a 1v1 this is a somewhat straightfoward thing to do to somebody. In a free for all game mode, this can be nebulous and difficult to define. As a control deck, you start with 7 cards and draw 1 per turn cycle by default. your opponents start with a collective 21 plus the three they draw every turn cycle, including some of the most broken jank ever printed, all designed to kick your teeth in or get completely out of control as quickly and violently as possible. How do you win despite these odds? Try countering everything remotely scary and you might find your hand empty and game over before anything has truly begun. Like most things in life, its a matter of finding a workable angle, a certain perspective, the secret to control in commander: Who says "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"WE "},{"insert":"have to be the one doing the controlling?\n\n\n=====\n\nFree for all games are inherently uncompetitive. You can be the bestest, strongest most talented control player with the most broken control deck..... only to get teamed up on and wiped off the table before the game begins in earnest. When you play control in most pods, you are basically signing up for this to happen. What can be done?\n\nI had an incarnation of this deck with all the best dimir staples. Free counterspells and cheap tutors galore. I lost 20 games with that deck vs my chill bracket 3 table before I got a single victory. I then made a controlling mono red deck with super low card quality. I won about 18 or so games and lost only 3 before I took it apart. My crap mono red badstuff deck was more successful at controlling than my cracked dimir hard control deck. Why? Because I lacked something important, I lacked the subtle touch.\n\nIn commander, if your pod unanimously thinks somebody is clearly winning, then it becomes a 1v3 until the pod changes thier mind. There are a lot of different reasons why an arbitrary group of 3 opponents with unique personalities could individually come to this conclusion. One reason that I think works unanimously on most people is making an entomb-reanimation play on turn 2. Put yourself in the line of fire, and you will get shot. Let somebody else walk into the line of fire, and you can be certain they will draw the ire of your enemies. Your opponents might collectivly have triple the cards you do, but with a little bit of creativity, you can create a gamestate and paint a picture where the obvious choice for your opponents is to waste their cards against each other. \n\nControl in commander is often the art of using every resource available, including your silver tongue, to steer the game a certain way. A problematic permanent isn't problematic if it gives you the space to cast Nymris without drawing more heat than the lead player. This decks weakness of having an artifact-enchantment blindspot isn't a weakness if it forces somebody else to have to be the one to use their removal on something. This is the secret to competitive free for all gaming, this is the secret to winning at commander, and it goes 10fold for this deck. \n\nThe subtle touch, it's a lesson that has had me dominate with this deck, but, perhaps to a fault. After all, why is it that we play games of commander? There's more to games than winning.\n\n=====\n\nThere is a time and a place for this deck. There is also a skill curve to it. Don't expect to be successful out of the gate. This is my warning. That being said, I think a lot of different players, particularly players looking go improve their game, could learn a lot from playing iterations on this deck.\n\nThe actual deck itself, it revolves around Nymris and adheres to arbitrary whims I have about what kinds of cards I do and don't like to play. The main happy path to a win is wait to play Nymris at a point where she won't draw too much heat while stifling your opponents card draw, and going on to reanimate Hullbreaker when you think you are in a position to 1v3 against whatever your opponents have left. Beyond this, it depends on the uncountable possibilities and complexities that a game of casual commander might have. I encourage anybody that has read this far to build this deck in some form and play with it. \n"}]}