{"ops":[{"attributes":{"color":"#ffff00"},"insert":"*To be updated with more upcoming changes.*"},{"insert":"\n\nTODO:\n-Not having access to white and having a heavy emphasis on sorcery speed play due to cascade makes protecting permanents in play (including Yidris) a lot more difficult... options for this only really include Kasmina, Kira, Tam, Monastery Siege, and equipments/auras such as greaves/swiftfoot/whispersilk (but from former to latter becomes very mana-inefficient). these options come with the drawback of losing out on instants/sorceries and their respective payoffs.\n-I made my Baral a serum visions deck and yidris is on the way to taking preordain lol\n-Flashback being an issue for cascading makes it harder to run red storm/spellslinger staples such as Mizzix's Mastery and Past in Flames... and also mind's dilation (which might work anyway because it gets all spell types and not just instants/sorceries?) :(\n-How to use Stock Up & friends, given the (relatively) high curve compared to other storm lists & due to the importance of selectivity\n-Ramping is also very strong, especially given the curve. Unfortunately, rituals are very hard to use given the multitude of colors present in the deck & because there just aren't enough gray pips to give that flexibility; meaning that land based ramp is the most favorable option, especially for color fixing\n-Gray pip reduction on instants & sorceries have diminishing returns when about half the spells don't have any gray pips\n-Discuss Storm lines\n-Discuss Yidris/Cascade lines\n-What to regrowth and when to regrowth. needs its own section & needs mention in juggling on how/when to juggle frantic search/manamorphose\n-How to play with Yidris (getting him out turn 3 shouldn't be an issue) and what to do when he gets removed\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#66b966"},"insert":"“When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card whose mana value is less than this spell’s mana value. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost if the resulting spell’s mana value is less than this spell’s mana value. Then put all cards exiled this way that weren’t cast on the bottom of your library in a random order.”"},{"insert":" - "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder"}},{"insert":" \n\nAs the only non-partner non-white (Chaos) commander option, Yidris certainly knows how to stand out from the crowd. Taking full advantage of his Cascade ability puts unusual limitations on the structure of your deck, but he's still a mid-sized beater that can lead nearly every deck archetype in Commander. Building a deck that isn't "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"just"},{"insert":" good stuff soup (or a pile of cards that have the word Cascade written on them) requires laser focus, and (in my case) "},{"attributes":{"color":"#66b966","italic":true},"insert":"excessive iteration"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"."},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Yidris is intentionally the only source of Cascade in this list!"},{"insert":"\n\nMy last attempt at Yidris was a stompy creature deck that leaned into cost reduction effects to play as many high value beaters as possible and cheat on my cascades. Even though I'd been working on/off on it for almost a year, I fell out of love with the idea. At least the learning and theory crafting hasn't gone to waste. These days, I love control and spellslinger play ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Baral, Chief of Compliance"}},{"insert":" is my one-trick pony on Arena/Brawl), so I wanted to see if Yidris could do it too. Yidris is incredibly well-suited for spellslinger play, but a reactive strategy is fundamentally incompatible with a very proactive triggered ability that can only occur on your turn. I get more into this in the below sections and especially in the theorycrafting section right before the very end. This game plan has to be different; we need to ramp early merely to be able to access our deck, cast our commander, and get cascading, but if we're able to hold out and get enough value on the board, we're unstoppable. In order to capitalize on a strategy like this, there is strong emphasis placed on efficiency with our resources.\n\nWe start by fixing, drawing cards, and playing permanents that reward us with value for playing our instants and sorceries. We keep a lower profile early game, since the longer important pieces stick around, the more rewards we get just for digging through our deck, ramping, playing removal, etc. What's quite nice about Yidris as a commander choice, in my opinion, is that he's not immediately threatening on his own to warrant opponents removing him, but he's still quite strong. If we're able to stick around, our biggest plays strip our opponents of resources, prevent them from answering our board state, and make our victory "},{"attributes":{"color":"#66b966","italic":true},"insert":"inevitable"},{"insert":". If opponents go after us, we use the resources we've accumulated to rebuild faster and more efficiently than they can respond to our plays. \n\nIn the following sections, I use certain abbreviations and phrases that I'd like to outline here:\nMP2 = Main Phase 2 or Second Main"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Hand Positive = Just means when you spend 1 card, you get more than one card back into your hand"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Tempo = How much you're doing and/or how much value you're generating relative to the rest of the table"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nMaking the Most of Entropy 🎰🎲"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nYidris is a very quirky commander choice that requires you to hard commit to your second main phase in order to get the most value from his ability. Cascade has a ton of interesting interactions, notably with suspend as it allows you to cast the spells you roll into on the spot. However, the spells need to be cast from hand, and Yidris needs to connect during the combat phase. In addition, Cascade is random. You need to be prepared to cast what you roll into and that includes board wipes or you miss out on extra tempo. You can always opt not to cast the spell and put it on the bottom of your library, but it's horribly inefficient, and it feels bad. "},{"attributes":{"color":"#66b966","underline":true},"insert":"Please note that some of the following cards are not in this list and serve as examples and callbacks to previous inclusions."},{"insert":"\n\nCascade actually hurts you in specific situations:\nOverload from cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mizzium Mortars"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mizzix's Mastery"}},{"insert":" cannot be paid if you Cascade into them. They also don't modify the spell's mana value for the purposes of Cascade, meaning paying more mana doesn't grant you a stronger Cascade."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Spells with effectiveness/functions depending on "},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"additional costs such as Spree, X spells, or life payment"},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"cannot be paid"},{"insert":". Cascading into something like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Insatiable Avarice"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Toxic Deluge"}},{"insert":" will render the card useless."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cards that end your turn like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Day's Undoing"}},{"insert":" are awful if you Cascade into them since you'll be forced to forfeit one of the spells on the stack. One ends the turn and, therefore, exiles the other spell before it can resolve. However, casting "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Day's Undoing"}},{"insert":" first will not exile the spell you Cascade into."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Spells that copy the next spell cast such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Doublecast"}},{"insert":" WILL NOT copy the spell you Cascade into, nor will it copy a previous spell already on the stack since it's already been cast for it to have entered the stack in the first place. You will need mana in order to cast another spell afterwards to successfully copy something afterward, but that's not guaranteed."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cascading into non-modular counterspells may as well be cascading into literally nothing."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Spells that care about the specific amount and/or colored mana used to cast them, like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Painful Truths"}},{"insert":" . If you Cascade into them, you cast them for free, and are unable to fulfill their requirements."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nHowever, Cascade can be incredibly strong when combined with:\nAny kind of gray pip reduction, like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage of Runes"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Treasure Cruise"}},{"insert":"."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Suspend cards such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ancestral Vision"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wheel of Fate"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Inevitable Betrayal"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Profane Tutor"}},{"insert":" can be cast immediately if you Cascade into them. "},{"attributes":{"color":"#66b966"},"insert":"However, they cannot be cast from hand for the purposes of triggering Cascade and they also compromise your opening hand + first few draws if you get one early. It's even worse if you topdeck one of these in the mid-late game."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" Rituals and cards that refund mana such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Frantic Search"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Manamorphose"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Burning-Tree Emissary"}},{"insert":" cost nothing when you Cascade into them, and let you get more spells off either way. More on this later."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Spells with cheaper alternative casting costs. For example, spells with evoke like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mulldrifter"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shriekmaw"}},{"insert":" allow you to Cascade for 5 even if you're using 2-3 mana to evoke them. If you're lucky, this can get you more value than the body you'd have if you hadn't evoked. Warp is similar, with the caveat that casting the warped spell from exile later won't trigger Yidris' Cascade ability."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nBecause of all these quirks, you need to ensure that anything you Cascade into will advance your game plan. In addition, you also need cards in hand to cast in order to Cascade. These explanations hopefully make my card choices more clear going forward.\n\nMastering the Maelstrom 💫💥"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nWith Cascade being so random and quirky, we need to remain adaptable to whatever it gives us. There are several unique ways to take advantage of Yidris' second main phase and leverage Cascade for serious value in this list:\n\nCascading into (or even just casting) "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Consuming Tide"}},{"insert":" means you get to keep Yidris on the board and set up a strong next turn. You'll be more able to connect with Yidris and Cascade again while your opponents are rebuilding. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dark Petition"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Frantic Search"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Manamorphose"}},{"insert":" refund mana when they resolve, allowing you to keep casting spells. These are even more powerful if you have cost reduction from "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage of Runes"}},{"insert":", or treasure tokens from "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Storm-Kiln Artist"}},{"insert":"."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brainstorm"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ponder"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Personal Tutor"}},{"insert":" allow for incidental topdeck manipulation, meaning you can plan for your next Cascade."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Smoldering Egg // Ashmouth Dragon"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Weaver of Lightning"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sentinel Tower"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tor Wauki the Younger"}},{"insert":" will run amok if you can get them a ride on the Yidris train!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Instants and sorceries you Cascade into also trigger "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Niv-Mizzet, Parun"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage Emeritus"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage of Runes"}},{"insert":", resulting in more hand positive interaction."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cascading into "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nevinyrral's Disk"}},{"insert":" means you have access to an instant-speed boardwipe you can activate for cheap at any time after your next rotation. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cascading into "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archfiend of Depravity"}},{"insert":" is an immediate, surprise threat that will punish opponents' with large boards. Incidentally, it enables similar plays to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Silent Arbiter"}},{"insert":" which reduces the number of potential blockers Yidris will have to deal with during your turns."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nJuggling 🤹‍♀️"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nYidris has four arms, which makes him naturally suited for juggling. \n"},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":" "},{"insert":"\n Card draw is king in Yidris because he only cares about spells cast from hand. Getting spells in hand and then casting them is going to suit Yidris play much more than other types of recursion like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Past in Flames"}},{"insert":" or an overloaded "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mizzix's Mastery"}},{"insert":" due to his casting constraints. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Treasured Find"}},{"insert":" and the like are largely there to loop "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Frantic Search"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Manamorphose"}},{"insert":" while Yidris' Cascade trigger is in effect. Otherwise, they are great spells for fetching anything you might need to recur from graveyard like card advantage or a tutor. This is where "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Harness Infinity"}},{"insert":" comes in as an extremely powerful, one time hand refuel that can be turned into a win in the late game, when graveyards tend to be full of cards. After all, what's there to juggle with an empty hand? 😢\n\nIn order to capitalize on card advantage and card efficiency, I also had to make some concessions with the ramp package. The highly regarded (and quite strong in the right circumstances) "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Three Visits"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skyshroud Claim"}},{"insert":" just aren't suited enough for this deck because it results in card disadvantage, compared to the likes of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cultivate"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kodama's Reach"}},{"insert":", which put a card back into your hand after casting. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Explore"}},{"insert":" and the other 2 drop ramp spells in this deck at least draw you a card or otherwise offer some added flexibility, even if you end up losing card advantage anyway due to playing the additional land.\n\nAdditionally, our card draw package adheres to this philosophy of prioritizing a large hand and squeezing as much value as we can out of each card included in the list. My best way to explain this is with an analogy:\n\nWhen I'm running "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Baral, Chief of Compliance"}},{"insert":", I prefer "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Preordain"}},{"insert":" because of its ability to filter through two potential draws before giving you a card in hand to refund itself. This kind of selectivity is nice to have when you need a specific type of card, even if you end up not touching the scry pile before drawing. On the other hand, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Serum Visions"}},{"insert":" draws a card and then allows you to filter two additional cards off the top of your deck after. The difference being that "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Preordain"}},{"insert":" isn't guaranteed to affect the top three cards of your deck because you don't have to put the scry pile on the bottom before drawing (meaning you've only seen the top two cards of your deck), while "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Serum Visions"}},{"insert":" will ALWAYS show you the top three cards of your library, even if you don't touch the scry pile after drawing your card. It's also because of this that "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Serum Visions"}},{"insert":" makes a much better Storm/Cascade target while also giving you a greater tempo advantage compared to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Preordain"}},{"insert":".\n\nOpening Hand ✋"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nYour opening hand should consist of low-curve cards that set you up during the early game. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ponder"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Serum Visions"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brainstorm"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Night's Whisper"}},{"insert":" are particularly noteworthy, because they can save an otherwise subpar hand. Mana fixing is ideal, especially if you can land "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Birds of Paradise"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ignoble Hierarch"}},{"insert":". Cards from the recursion package like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Regrowth"}},{"insert":" are much less desirable UNLESS you also happen to have either "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Manamorphose"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Frantic Search"}},{"insert":", with the former being more desirable in the early game for fixing. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Explore"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Growth Spiral"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Planar Genesis"}},{"insert":" are great for netting you some early game tempo, with the latter offering you the option to nab a high priority card off the top of your library. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Traverse the Ulvenwald"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Personal Tutor"}},{"insert":" can get you out of a pinch in the early game if necessary by providing you with card draw or the land you need. When it comes to tutors, though, you'll get the best results if you've had some time to gather information about the table and your own draws, so you're generally better off waiting until a few turns have passed to use these cards if you can help it.\n\nUsing Removal 🔥🐲"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nLike any control deck, our first goal with removal is targeting anything that gets in the way of our gameplan - mostly stax, or anything that'll delete our life total before we can get online. When you have the luxury to do so, you'll want to remove anything that increases our opponents' hand size in order to break parity in the mid-late game. In particular, we want to hit powerful card draw engines (such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beast Whisperer"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage Emeritus"}},{"insert":" ) in order to slow down opponents and attack their hands. \n\nWe don't care as much if our opponents are fixing or ramping their mana, though especially powerful value engines like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nyxbloom Ancient"}},{"insert":" are good targets if the above conditions are met. However, these cards matter much less if our opponents don't have the cards in hand to take advantage of them.\n\nUsing Tutors 🔎"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" \nEach of these cards was chosen with a specific role in mind and has some unique synergies:\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Witherbloom Apprentice"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Professor Onyx"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Guttersnipe"}},{"insert":" will reliably chip away at your opponents' life totals. They require you to already be casting plenty of spells per turn. The former two have Magecraft AND utilize lifedrain that gets around damage prevention & heals us in the process. The latter will burn and doesn't have Magecraft, but is nonetheless a great way to ping opponents' life totals for only 3 mana. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tor Wauki the Younger"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Smoldering Egg // Ashmouth Dragon"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Weaver of Lightning"}},{"insert":" allow for potent creature or planeswalker removal if you can keep them on the board as you cast spells through the game. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sentinel Tower"}},{"insert":" is not only synergistic removal and potentially a win-condition for our deck, but it also offers some deterrence against disruption decks that are most likely playing instants to mess with our turn... which will also increase the tower's count."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Conqueror's Flail"}},{"insert":" is your best friend against control/reactive play, and gets some extra discussion further down."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Silent Arbiter"}},{"insert":" means Yidris can only be blocked by one creature per combat and it also means opponents can only attack us with one creature per turn, whether Yidris is on the board or not."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Resonating Lute"}},{"insert":" is a great for both fixing mana and ramping during our turns! It's tertiary use, being conditional card draw, is less reliable but offers extra flexibility during our turns should the requirement be met."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Chromatic Lantern"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dryad of the Ilysian Grove"}},{"insert":" offer unconditional mana fixing on our lands and give slight ramp in addition to extra flexibility on casting spells."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Muse Seeker"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dragon's Rage Channeler"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Muse Seeker"}},{"insert":" allow us to dig through our deck for important spells while filling our graveyard with goodies to recur in the mid to lategame. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage of Runes"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage Emeritus"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Niv-Mizzet, Parun"}},{"insert":" replenish your hand when behind, and keep your hand full when you're cascading."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Consuming Tide"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nevinyrral's Disk"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Culling Ritual"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archfiend of Depravity"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brotherhood's End"}},{"insert":" are the closest you'll get to one sided wipes in the right circumstances, should you need one."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thousand-Year Storm"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ral, Crackling Wit"}},{"insert":" are our storm sources. Use these to accelerate into a win."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nCounting Cards 🃏"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nWhile this will get you banned from casinos, counting cards here can help you determine the order for casting cards in hand while Yidris' Cascade is in effect for netting maximum efficiency on your cascades. Cards in your hand and graveyard are cards you know you won't Cascade into. The more low curve cards that you know you can't Cascade into, the more likely you'll net higher mana value cards off your bigger cascades. The inverse is also true, so less low curve cards means casting your cheaper cards first will get more of them filtered through your deck. Ultimately, you're still gambling and this is still a \"singleton\" format.\n\nHandling Untapped Islands💙"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nBecause of the slower tempo of our deck, and our emphasis on attacking our opponents' resources, it's in our interest to target the aggro/midrange players first, followed by the stax player (who can completely lock down Yidris with something like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rule of Law"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vexing Bauble"}},{"insert":"), instead of the control player. A temporary alliance with the control player actually benefits us greatly; our interests align because we're also arbitrating the table by removing our opponents' value engines, especially ones that draw them cards. Having help makes it more likely that we survive to our mid-late game power spike. Once we get there, we're stronger against draw-go than other deck strategies.\n\nThe best defense you have against someone ready to draw-go you is knowing what spells to avoid casting until you've successfully baited removal or you think it's safe to go ahead anyway. Control players (me) prioritize removing powerful card draw engines and anything that stops them from casting spells during turns that aren't their own. Remember that the control player's gameplan is to attack your hand size and then sneak a win attempt when you're out of answers/threats of your own. As such, you should be wary of casting any card draw while islands are untapped. \n\nRemember that this deck is designed such that it functions even without Yidris in play. Yidris will only be a threat worth removing once you're able to hold enough mana and cards in hand for a post-combat damage second main phase. If he gets counterspelled or similar too early, that's removal your opponents don't have for your other value engines, or your other opponents' threats. The cards listed below are usually of higher importance.\n\nLiterally never cast these cards against a control player unless you know it's safe to do so:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage Emeritus"}},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage of Runes"}},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Niv-Mizzet, Parun"}},{"insert":" is easier to get out because of the incidental can't be countered clause, but it is never guaranteed that this spell (or any, for that matter) will resolve."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Conqueror's Flail"}},{"insert":" shuts down reactive play against us and, as such, is extremely high priority for removal by control players."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nCertain cards fall into a maybe category:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Harness Infinity"}},{"insert":" is generally less likely to be countered, but not impossible. When I'm on control duty, I let them resolve a good amount of the time and I just wait until the more important thing comes out (like a wincon/bomb/combo piece, should one even follow). However, it's still insane burst draw that will raise eyebrows & if it's your only card in hand the control player should absolutely counter it since card draw matters more the fewer cards you have in hand."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thousand-Year Storm"}},{"insert":" is worthless without cards in hand to actually use it with. If you do have cards be wary of countermagic because your opponents are likely (and rightfully) assuming a win attempt is on the way, especially if we have any Magecraft permanents in play."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nIf you are against hard control and you have "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thousand-Year Storm"}},{"insert":" in play, you need to be careful of these cards, especially if you suspect your opponent might have one in hand or the means to flashback one from their graveyard at instant speed:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Whirlwind Denial"}},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Summary Dismissal"}},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Glen Elendra's Answer"}},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Counterflux"}},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThese effects are specific and few in number, and they typically cost 4 mana without cost reducers in play, so if you see them in graveyard or your opponent doesn't have the mana, you have a better chance of playing your key spells safely. Be mindful of instant speed flashback effects from the likes of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Snapcaster Mage"}},{"insert":", although these effects cost additional mana to resolve on top of the spell to be cast. If an opponent has several untapped islands, you can bet they are ready to slap you with one of these or potentially a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Time Stop"}},{"insert":". Also, be wary of the control player's hand size, because the more cards in their hands, the more likely it is they'll have free interaction ready to go. In some cases, especially when you suspect hard removal is on the way, it's better to hold cards in hand to prioritize keeping a healthy hand size even if it means you are leaving mana up at the end of your turn.\n\nFollow the above guidelines and keep asking questions with your spells until you're able to safely cast what you need to resolve. Just keep ramping, playing removal, and probing with lower priority cards until they (hopefully) blunder and blow their precious removal on something less valuable. If they don't take the bait, remember that they can't counter what you don't cast. If you do successfully bait their removal, respond in kind with the flail while their pants are down and savor their tears that will surely follow. Also, if you REALLY wanna go full mindgame on a hard control player, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fabricate"}},{"insert":" for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Conqueror's Flail"}},{"insert":" and then just leave it in your hand for the rest of the game without ever casting it. That should get most things through that would otherwise get removed if you "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":"edge"},{"insert":" keep it on you as long as you can. 😉\n\nYou don't want to go too hard into counterspell hate, if at all. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hexing Squelcher"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vexing Shusher"}},{"insert":" are far too specific for this deck. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Conqueror's Flail"}},{"insert":" is included because it works against "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"all"},{"insert":" kinds of instant speed interaction that could disrupt our turns (like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fog"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Stifle"}},{"insert":", which can't be countered doesn't address), with the rare exception of activated abilities. It also makes Yidris into a 9/8 with trample, which will break through all but the toughest board states, and potentially set up a win with commander damage (9x3 = 27!). I considered "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tidal Barracuda"}},{"insert":" for similar reasons, but I had a hard time slotting it in relative to other 4 drops, since I don't care about flashing in cards during other players' turns.\n\nYidris Draw-Go? 👩‍⚖️"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThis section is the culmination of nearly two years of theorycrafting/testing strategies with this this commander at the helm. Cascade is a ridiculously complicated keyword that has a plethora of niche interactions. This will hopefully be invaluable for anyone who wants to take their own shot at an "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder"}},{"insert":" deck, without blindly adding cards that have the word Cascade just because it's in Yidris' text box.\n\nA major restriction worth noting for Yidris is that it hurts you to leave mana up at the end of your turn if you've managed to get him to connect, because you're forfeiting extra spell(s). This is why I no longer have modular counterspells like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spellgyre"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sublime Epiphany"}},{"insert":"; while you can still get value out of cascading into them, holding mana up for an expensive counterspell will reduce the value you're able to get out of your own turns. At one point, I thought maybe "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shadow of the Second Sun"}},{"insert":" effects would help circumvent this, allowing you to get value out of MP2 AND other players' turns, but there are barely any counterspells that you can effectively Cascade into. Even then, these cards are more valuable when played as a response as opposed to proactively casting them with nothing to respond to on the stack. You could run a load of instants and go wild with removal with or without Yidris triggers, but then what happens when there's no convenient target? What if you Cascade into the wrong kind of removal? How do you answer triggered/activated abilities? Maybe "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sudden Spoiling"}},{"insert":"/"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Polymorphist's Jest"}},{"insert":", but nobody wants to Cascade into that on MP2!\n\nYidris Stax was on the docket for a bit, since you can develop stax pieces making the casting during MP2 a non-issue. In a creature based, saboteur Yidris (my first iteration in 2024), stax can further increase the tempo disparity created by Yidris' Cascade. Unfortunately, he's not in white, and many of my favorite stax pieces like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Trinisphere"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Damping Sphere"}},{"insert":" shut Yidris down entirely. I thought I could still try and lean on effects that lend themselves more towards disruption than full stax like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"War's Toll"}},{"insert":", maybe even "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nature's Will"}},{"insert":", which shut down most control decks. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Manglehorn"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Urabrask the Hidden"}},{"insert":" are quite nice to have outside white, particularly the latter, but they're too rare of exceptions to build a deck around.\n\nI considered cards I love for their flexibility and value like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hullbreaker Horror"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thing in the Ice // Awoken Horror"}},{"insert":" at one point as well, but these cards are significantly weaker if you lack the precise control over their triggers that comes with an instant speed play strategy. Breaking the ice bounces Yidris back to hand more often than not, and Hullbreaker's reduced to a glorified bouncer for an entire seven mana, as its strongest ability (bouncing spells to get around uncounterable, turning any instant into a counterspell, etc.) is only usable as a reaction. While I don't care if "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Baral, Chief of Compliance"}},{"insert":" dies or returns to hand because there's no universe where I cast the Chief for more than two mana anyway (🤫🧏‍♀️🗿), and while this deck was deliberately made to be able to function without Yidris in play, the beauty of Yidris is that HE SCALES INSANELY WELL over the course of a game, and that means removing him hurts us a lot more. However, he's only relevant if he can get his damage through and his trigger resolves after it's hit the stack.\n\nI've tried several different types of creature based Yidris lists, from proliferate to saboteur, but it's unfortunately such a pain because creatures you cast in your 2MP can't swing out during the same turn without setup from an extra turn or combat step. Extra combats double up on Yidris' Cascade, but this nets you diminishing returns and if you're able to connect extra combats, you've probably already won the game. Haste is useless if you're casting your creatures on the second main, and playing creatures on that 2MP and then praying they don't get removed until your next turn is less than desirable. Sorceries simply scale better because they don't need to be on the board to stay effective, they are harder to respond to, and a lot of them are more cost-effective relative to their creature/instant counterparts. Better yet, our removal engine permanents are triggered by spell casting, meaning it doesn't hurt you to cast on second main, as you don't need to swing to get value with anything in this deck besides Yidris.\n\nWhy Yidris? 🙋‍♀️"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nI've encountered so many Commander players who fixate on a commander's text box and incorrectly assume that every card in the deck needs to do the exact same thing. I've had to deal with people assuming my "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Baral, Chief of Compliance"}},{"insert":" list is Oops! All Counterspells™️because he has the words \"counters a spell\" in his text box, but counterspells are incidental because they're blue's predominant removal type. Counterspells: The Gathering™️loses games because control decks fundamentally need card draw and to be able to actually win the game, but that's a different primer.\n\nIf you look at EDHREC, you'll find that the average Yidris deck is Cascade: The Gathering™️- ever since "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Entropic Uprising"},{"insert":" set the precedent, he's helmed piles that run as many Cascade cards as possible in the hopes of playing an absurd amount of spells per turn. Sometimes they throw in suspend cards to circumvent the time counter restrictions, or they try to get extra value from casting spells from exile, but they're still just autopilot throwing in Cascade cards because Yidris has \"Cascade\" in his text box. I wanted to make my own take on "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder"}},{"insert":" because I wanted to challenge this mentality within myself, and create a proof of concept I could share with others. Additionally, I believe Cascade as a mechanic has much more to offer than just stacking as many instances of it as possible in a deck. Yidris is deliberately the only source of Cascade in this deck! Because of the way the keyword works, you still need to be very aware of its implications on the rest of the 99. Ultimately, Yidris is a counterweight commander for this otherwise slower four color spellslinger shell, because he's gas for a deck that's much more selective and calculating in its gameplay.\n"}]}