Walden
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Commander
Size: 101Salt sum: 41.16
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{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Deck Philosophy: Mutually Assured Value"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nI think Yume might be one of the coolest Two-Headed Giant commanders ever printed. In that format, her game plan is obvious. In a four-player free-for-all, it's much less straightforward.\n\nIn order for Yume to get consistent 4-player value, at least one, and hopefully more, of your opponents need to help you. Therefore, the most important question when building Yume is simple: "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"what kinds of spells will another player actually want to help you cast?"},{"insert":"\n\nThose spells need to be compelling enough to compete with the cards already sitting in your opponents' hands. Your deck needs to offer something valuable enough that another player is willing to invest resources in your game plan instead of their own. Maybe their game plan and yours are aligned! \n\nI've always viewed politics in Commander as another resource. Like mana or card draw, it can be leveraged to generate advantage, but unlike mana or card draw, it can't be measured directly. Every attack that isn't pointed at you is effectively damage dealt on your behalf. Every removal spell aimed elsewhere preserves your resources. And as long as opponents don't feel like you're taking away their choices or dictating how they should evaluate threats, they'll hopefully let you live your life as you let them live theirs. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Game Plan"},{"insert":"\n\nThe current build is centered around helping everyone else play Magic. Whereas white is often a color that prevents other players from doing things, Yume is easily built as the opposite. My goal here is to build a deck that's almost completely free of toxicity. That's a difficult challenge in mono-white, a color famous for taxation, restriction, and control, but I think that's what makes Yume such an interesting commander to explore. She is the Chronicler of Valor, and she's here to chronicle valor, not necessarily be valorous herself. It's a flavor win for me if my fellow players do even more explosive things with my help. \n\nThe power of this deck lies in how you want to play it. I built it so a 4-player game of Magic can suddenly feel like a 3-player game of Magic, plus a banker. Maybe an auctioneer. Either way, I'm a resource for others, and it's up to other players to decide how they want to use what I offer. \n\nThe deck gives opponents cards, lands, mana, and opportunities to express what their decks are trying to do. Ideally, they enjoy the experience enough that destroying you becomes quite low on their list of priorities. Besides, the more smoothly everyone else's deck functions, the more opportunities Yume has to generate value in return. \n\nWhile the deck is built around politics, it isn't sacrificing consistency to do so. Underneath the diplomatic package is a fairly traditional mono-white value engine built on recursion, catch-up ramp, and efficient interaction.\n\nTraditional symmetrical Group Hug effects are less appealing in this deck. Yume works best when the benefits of cooperation are targeted rather than universal. Symmetrical effects can still build goodwill, but they should be tools for negotiation rather than the deck’s foundation. The goal isn’t to make everyone equal. It’s to make working with Yume the most attractive option at the table. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Choosing an Ally"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nRather than helping the entire table equally, many of the deck's effects create temporary partnerships. Each game becomes a series of small alliances that shift as the board develops. Many of the deck's cards let opponents make meaningful choices. Even when they're my cards, other players remain involved, giving them agency in the game.\n\nEvery game, find the player who benefits most from working with you. Sometimes it's the player who's behind on board. Sometimes it's the player best positioned to answer the biggest threat. Every table also reacts differently to a political strategy, so identifying who is most receptive to working with you is one of the most important skills you'll develop while piloting Yume. These alliances are temporary, and the hardest part of the deck is knowing when to shift your support.\n\nMaintaining goodwill is often worth more than having a powerful defensive permanent in play. White has access to plenty of powerful defensive tools. The challenge is that many of them are inherently antagonistic, restricting opponents' choices or taxing their resources. Every card that taxes or reduces player agency makes it harder to convince people to cooperate with Yume.\n\nBecause the power of this deck relies in the gameplay and not the card selections, its power can not be easily explained with the bracket system. I could see it winning in bracket 2 or 3 games, but 4s will probably be too explosive, or more importantly, more interested in winning. \n\nI'm still torn on Smothering Tithe. It's an obvious slam dunk in this deck (or any deck, lol), but I think the way it changes how the table perceives me does not make it worth it. It's just annoying, and Yume's not trying to be annoying. \n\nThe deck doesn't avoid interaction, but it does try to avoid resentment. Not to say that wiping the board won't feel frustrating to at least someone. Finding the balance between survival and goodwill is one of the deck's central deck-building challenges. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Winning the Game"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nGroup Hug decks are notorious for finishing second. \n\nAt the moment, I'm less interested in forcing a dedicated combo finish than I am in staying politically invisible long enough for a win condition to naturally present itself. If the deck spends the entire game drawing extra cards while accumulating lands and treasure tokens, it should eventually find a way to close the game. \n\nThis deck is completely capable of outvaluing someone in the end game, with the sheer amount of cards and mana I have. I haven't decided yet whether I want this deck to act exclusively as \"the bank\" in an unusual three-player game, or if I'm genuinely the fourth player trying to win. It feels like both, and I think if it were one or the other, I'd feel disappointed. \n\nIt'll be up to my opponents how they treat me at the end of the day. Building this deck has been an exercise in discovering how valuable a resource player agency actually is. Whether or not you can leverage that is whether or not you can win. \n\nThe best 'win-con' for me in this deck is ending the game in a tie. It feels flavorful and absolutely right. At the end of the day, if I'm the player that offers a tie from a dedicated 8-mana card like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Divine Intervention"}},{"insert":", that feels as satisfying to me as a win. Whether that's satisfying to my opponents is up to them. \n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Celestial Convergence"}},{"insert":", seven whole turns, and then an incredibly well-timed "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arbiter of Knollridge"}},{"insert":", all resulting in a collective tie, would feel very satisfying to pull off. Arbiter of Knollridge probably needs flash from "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vedalken Orrery"}},{"insert":" to really work out. You can run "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Solemnity"}},{"insert":", then play Celestial Convergence, then it's on your next upkeep. Honestly, this is lots of cards that need to be in my hand for this to work, not to mention how antagonistic some of those cards feel for my fellow players. This is a combo finish, which is not really that interesting to me. Nevertheless, Celestial Convergence sitting on the battlefield seems fun, so I'll play it a couple of times and see how it makes others interact. \n\nThe current actual primary win condition is much less interesting than the way there: \n\nGenerate a large amount of mana and cards.\nCast "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Approach of the Second Sun"}},{"insert":".\nDraw back into it quickly and cast it again.\n\nThe deck has a few ways to accelerate this process, including bouncing your own Approach with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reprieve"}},{"insert":" or"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bilbo's Gambit"}},{"insert":" to enable both casts in the same turn.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Perch Protection"}},{"insert":" can win the game if you empower the right player at the right time. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Cards I'm Considering (Sideboard)"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThis deck is a thought experiment. If I eventually decide it needs a more deterministic finish, mono-white has a ton of powerful options: \n\nGo-wide token strategy with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sacred Mesa"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Luminarch Ascension"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hoofprints of the Stag"}},{"insert":", then just cast "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Akroma's Will"}},{"insert":"or something. Probably about fifteen different token-making cards and I'll be able to pull this win out consistently. There's better decks out there for this strategy. "},{"attributes":{"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Blow up the board, blow up lands, white control deck that destroys everyone’s bedtime. "},{"attributes":{"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Two-card combo finishes like:"},{"attributes":{"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rest in Peace"}},{"insert":" +"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Helm of Obedience"}},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Painter's Servant"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grindstone"}},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Walking Ballista"}},{"insert":" +"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Heliod, Sun-Crowned"}},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nYou do draw lots of cards, so cards like"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reliquary Tower"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spellbook"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thought Vessel"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Library of Leng"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Anvil of Bogardan"}},{"insert":"are tempting. I think discarding to 7 every turn is great for my recursion package, but if you want to dedicate some slots to preserving your hand size, go for it. I tried to find a discard win-condition, but there really isn't a good one in white, as far as I know. It's not good for people's mental states if you're hanging around with a grip of 30 cards. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"TL;DR"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nYume is Political Midrange: instead of forcing value, I build a deck full of effects my opponents genuinely want to help me cast. By giving players resources, agency, and reasons to cooperate, I turn politics into a resource, forming temporary alliances, staying non-threatening, and eventually outvaluing the table. The goal isn't to hug everyone; it's to make helping Yume the best deal at the table. \n\n\n"}]}
Commander
Yume, Chronicler of Valor
The first spell you cast during each of your turns has assist. When you cast that spell, if another player spent mana to cast it, you and that player each draw a card. (As you cast a spell with assist, you may choose another player. They may pay some or all of the generic mana in the spell's cost.)
Legendary Creature - Human Druid
Commander
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Draw
Love Song of Night and Day
Read ahead (Choose a chapter and start with that many lore counters. Add one after your draw step. Skipped chapters don't trigger. Sacrifice after III.)
I — You and target opponent each draw two cards.
II — Create a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying.
III — Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two target creatures.
I — You and target opponent each draw two cards.
II — Create a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying.
III — Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two target creatures.
Enchantment - Saga
Master of Ceremonies
At the beginning of your upkeep, each opponent chooses money, friends, or secrets. For each player who chose money, you and that player each create a Treasure token. For each player who chose friends, you and that player each create a 1/1 green and white Citizen creature token. For each player who chose secrets, you and that player each draw a card.
Creature - Druid Rhino
Palantír of Orthanc
At the beginning of your end step, put an influence counter on Palantír of Orthanc and scry 2. Then target opponent may have you draw a card. If that player doesn't, you mill X cards, where X is the number of influence counters on Palantír of Orthanc, and that player loses life equal to the total mana value of those cards.
Legendary Artifact
Wedding Ring
When this artifact enters, if it was cast, target opponent creates a token that's a copy of it.
Whenever an opponent who controls an artifact named Wedding Ring draws a card during their turn, you draw a card.
Whenever an opponent who controls an artifact named Wedding Ring gains life during their turn, you gain that much life.
Whenever an opponent who controls an artifact named Wedding Ring draws a card during their turn, you draw a card.
Whenever an opponent who controls an artifact named Wedding Ring gains life during their turn, you gain that much life.
Artifact
Yes Man, Personal Securitron
: Target opponent gains control of Yes Man. When they do, you draw two cards and put a quest counter on Yes Man. Activate only during your turn.
Wild Card — When Yes Man leaves the battlefield, its owner creates a tapped 1/1 white Soldier creature token for each quest counter on it.
Wild Card — When Yes Man leaves the battlefield, its owner creates a tapped 1/1 white Soldier creature token for each quest counter on it.
Legendary Creature Artifact - Robot
Draw
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Finisher
Celestial Convergence
This enchantment enters with seven omen counters on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, remove an omen counter from this enchantment. If there are no omen counters on this enchantment, the player with the highest life total wins the game. If two or more players are tied for highest life total, the game is a draw.
At the beginning of your upkeep, remove an omen counter from this enchantment. If there are no omen counters on this enchantment, the player with the highest life total wins the game. If two or more players are tied for highest life total, the game is a draw.
Enchantment
Perch Protection
Gift an extra turn (You may promise an opponent a gift as you cast this spell. If you do, they take an extra turn after this one.)
Create four 2/2 blue Bird creature tokens with flying. If the gift was promised, all permanents you control phase out, and until your next turn, your life total can't change and you gain protection from everything.
Exile Perch Protection.
Create four 2/2 blue Bird creature tokens with flying. If the gift was promised, all permanents you control phase out, and until your next turn, your life total can't change and you gain protection from everything.
Exile Perch Protection.
Instant
Finisher
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Land
Land
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Protection
Teferi's Reproach
Choose target opponent. Until that player's next turn, they gain protection from everything and their life total can't change. All nonland permanents they control phase out. (While they're phased out, they're treated as though they don't exist. They phase in before that player untaps during their next untap step.)
Exile Teferi's Reproach.
Exile Teferi's Reproach.
Instant
Protection
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Ramp
Archaeomancer's Map
When this artifact enters, search your library for up to two basic Plains cards, reveal them, put them into your hand, then shuffle.
Whenever a land an opponent controls enters, if that player controls more lands than you, you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
Whenever a land an opponent controls enters, if that player controls more lands than you, you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
Artifact
Hithlain Rope
This artifact can't be sacrificed.
, : Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. The player to your right gains control of this artifact.
, : Draw a card. The player to your right gains control of this artifact.
, : Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. The player to your right gains control of this artifact.
, : Draw a card. The player to your right gains control of this artifact.
Artifact
Keeper of the Accord
At the beginning of each opponent's end step, if that player controls more creatures than you, create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token.
At the beginning of each opponent's end step, if that player controls more lands than you, you may search your library for a basic Plains card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
At the beginning of each opponent's end step, if that player controls more lands than you, you may search your library for a basic Plains card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Creature - Human Soldier
Pendant of Prosperity
This artifact enters under the control of an opponent of your choice.
, : Draw a card, then you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield. This artifact's owner draws a card, then that player may put a land card from their hand onto the battlefield.
, : Draw a card, then you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield. This artifact's owner draws a card, then that player may put a land card from their hand onto the battlefield.
Artifact
Tataru Taru
When Tataru Taru enters, you draw a card and target opponent may draw a card.
Scions' Secretary — Whenever an opponent draws a card, if it isn't that player's turn, create a tapped Treasure token. This ability triggers only once each turn.
Scions' Secretary — Whenever an opponent draws a card, if it isn't that player's turn, create a tapped Treasure token. This ability triggers only once each turn.
Legendary Creature - Advisor Dwarf
Ramp
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Recursion
Angel of Indemnity
Flying, lifelink
When this creature enters, return target permanent card with mana value 4 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Encore (, Exile this card from your graveyard: For each opponent, create a token copy that attacks that opponent this turn if able. They gain haste. Sacrifice them at the beginning of the next end step. Activate only as a sorcery.)
When this creature enters, return target permanent card with mana value 4 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Encore (, Exile this card from your graveyard: For each opponent, create a token copy that attacks that opponent this turn if able. They gain haste. Sacrifice them at the beginning of the next end step. Activate only as a sorcery.)
Creature - Warrior Angel
Immortal Obligation
Return target creature card from an opponent's graveyard to the battlefield under their control with a duty counter on it. For as long as that creature has a duty counter on it, it is goaded, can't attack you or a permanent you control, and can't block creatures you control.
Instant
Restoration Seminar
Return target nonland permanent card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Paradigm (Then exile this spell. After you first resolve a spell with this name, you may cast a copy of it from exile without paying its mana cost at the beginning of each of your first main phases.)
Paradigm (Then exile this spell. After you first resolve a spell with this name, you may cast a copy of it from exile without paying its mana cost at the beginning of each of your first main phases.)
Sorcery - Lesson
Sevinne's Reclamation
Return target permanent card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. If this spell was cast from a graveyard, you may copy this spell and may choose a new target for the copy.
Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Sorcery
Recursion
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Removal
Bilbo's Gambit
Gift a Treasure (You may promise an opponent a gift as you cast this spell. If you do, they create a Treasure token before its other effects. It's an artifact with ", Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
Return target spell to its owner's hand. If the gift was promised, players can't cast spells this turn.
Return target spell to its owner's hand. If the gift was promised, players can't cast spells this turn.
Instant
The Legend of Yangchen
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.)
I — Starting with you, each player chooses up to one permanent with mana value 3 or greater from among permanents your opponents control. Exile those permanents.
II — You may have target opponent draw three cards. If you do, draw three cards.
III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.
I — Starting with you, each player chooses up to one permanent with mana value 3 or greater from among permanents your opponents control. Exile those permanents.
II — You may have target opponent draw three cards. If you do, draw three cards.
III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.
Enchantment - Saga
Removal
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Tokens
Tokens
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Sideboard
Luminarch Ascension
At the beginning of each opponent's end step, if you didn't lose life this turn, you may put a quest counter on this enchantment. (Damage causes loss of life.)
: Create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying. Activate only if this enchantment has four or more quest counters on it.
: Create a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying. Activate only if this enchantment has four or more quest counters on it.
Enchantment
Parting Gust
Gift a tapped Fish (You may promise an opponent a gift as you cast this spell. If you do, they create a tapped 1/1 blue Fish creature token before its other effects.)
Exile target nontoken creature. If the gift wasn't promised, return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it at the beginning of the next end step.
Exile target nontoken creature. If the gift wasn't promised, return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it at the beginning of the next end step.
Instant
Sideboard
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Maybeboard
Akroma's Will
Choose one. If you control a commander as you cast this spell, you may choose both instead.
• Creatures you control gain flying, vigilance, and double strike until end of turn.
• Creatures you control gain lifelink, indestructible, and protection from each color until end of turn.
• Creatures you control gain flying, vigilance, and double strike until end of turn.
• Creatures you control gain lifelink, indestructible, and protection from each color until end of turn.
Instant
Dack Fayden, Helping Hand
When Dack Fayden enters, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal X creature cards, where X is the number of opponents you have. Put those creature cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle. They're goaded for the rest of the game. For each of those permanents, choose a different opponent. Each opponent gains control of the permanent for which they were chosen.
Legendary Creature - Human Advisor
Dawn's Truce
Gift a card (You may promise an opponent a gift as you cast this spell. If you do, they draw a card before its other effects.)
You and permanents you control gain hexproof until end of turn. If the gift was promised, permanents you control also gain indestructible until end of turn.
You and permanents you control gain hexproof until end of turn. If the gift was promised, permanents you control also gain indestructible until end of turn.
Instant
Discerning Financier
At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent controls more lands than you, create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with ", Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
: Choose another player. That player gains control of target Treasure you control. You draw a card.
: Choose another player. That player gains control of target Treasure you control. You draw a card.
Creature - Human Noble
Emeritus of Truce
When this creature enters, target player creates a 1/1 white and black Inkling creature token with flying. Then if an opponent controls more creatures than you, this creature becomes prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.)
Creature - Cleric Cat
Helm of Obedience
, : Target opponent mills a card, then repeats this process until a creature card or X cards have been put into their graveyard this way, whichever comes first. If one or more creature cards were put into that graveyard this way, sacrifice this artifact and put one of them onto the battlefield under your control. X can't be 0.
Artifact
Jinxed Choker
At the beginning of your end step, target opponent gains control of this artifact and puts a charge counter on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, this artifact deals damage to you equal to the number of charge counters on it.
: Put a charge counter on this artifact or remove one from it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, this artifact deals damage to you equal to the number of charge counters on it.
: Put a charge counter on this artifact or remove one from it.
Artifact
Karmic Guide
Flying, protection from black
Echo (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
When this creature enters, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Echo (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
When this creature enters, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Creature - Angel Spirit
Serra Paragon
Flying
Once during each of your turns, you may play a land from your graveyard or cast a permanent spell with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard. If you do, it gains "When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it and you gain 2 life."
Once during each of your turns, you may play a land from your graveyard or cast a permanent spell with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard. If you do, it gains "When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it and you gain 2 life."
Creature - Angel
Teyo, Geometric Tactician
When Teyo enters, create a 0/4 white Wall creature token with defender and flying.
+1: You and target opponent each draw a card.
−2: Choose left or right. Until your next turn, each player may attack only the nearest opponent in the last chosen direction and planeswalkers controlled by that opponent.
+1: You and target opponent each draw a card.
−2: Choose left or right. Until your next turn, each player may attack only the nearest opponent in the last chosen direction and planeswalkers controlled by that opponent.
Legendary Planeswalker - Teyo
The Eagles Are Coming!
Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.)
Choose target creature you own. If this spell was kicked, instead choose any number of target creatures you own. Return each chosen creature to your hand. At the beginning of the next upkeep, create a 4/4 white Bird Soldier creature token with flying for each creature returned to your hand this way.
Choose target creature you own. If this spell was kicked, instead choose any number of target creatures you own. Return each chosen creature to your hand. At the beginning of the next upkeep, create a 4/4 white Bird Soldier creature token with flying for each creature returned to your hand this way.
Instant
Winds of Abandon
Exile target creature you don't control. For each creature exiled this way, its controller searches their library for a basic land card. Those players put those cards onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Overload (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.")
Overload (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.")
Sorcery
Maybeboard
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Deck Info
Deck stats
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Deck extras (0)
Description
{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Deck Philosophy: Mutually Assured Value"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nI think Yume might be one of the coolest Two-Headed Giant commanders ever printed. In that format, her game plan is obvious. In a four-player free-for-all, it's much less straightforward.\n\nIn order for Yume to get consistent 4-player value, at least one, and hopefully more, of your opponents need to help you. Therefore, the most important question when building Yume is simple: "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"what kinds of spells will another player actually want to help you cast?"},{"insert":"\n\nThose spells need to be compelling enough to compete with the cards already sitting in your opponents' hands. Your deck needs to offer something valuable enough that another player is willing to invest resources in your game plan instead of their own. Maybe their game plan and yours are aligned! \n\nI've always viewed politics in Commander as another resource. Like mana or card draw, it can be leveraged to generate advantage, but unlike mana or card draw, it can't be measured directly. Every attack that isn't pointed at you is effectively damage dealt on your behalf. Every removal spell aimed elsewhere preserves your resources. And as long as opponents don't feel like you're taking away their choices or dictating how they should evaluate threats, they'll hopefully let you live your life as you let them live theirs. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Game Plan"},{"insert":"\n\nThe current build is centered around helping everyone else play Magic. Whereas white is often a color that prevents other players from doing things, Yume is easily built as the opposite. My goal here is to build a deck that's almost completely free of toxicity. That's a difficult challenge in mono-white, a color famous for taxation, restriction, and control, but I think that's what makes Yume such an interesting commander to explore. She is the Chronicler of Valor, and she's here to chronicle valor, not necessarily be valorous herself. It's a flavor win for me if my fellow players do even more explosive things with my help. \n\nThe power of this deck lies in how you want to play it. I built it so a 4-player game of Magic can suddenly feel like a 3-player game of Magic, plus a banker. Maybe an auctioneer. Either way, I'm a resource for others, and it's up to other players to decide how they want to use what I offer. \n\nThe deck gives opponents cards, lands, mana, and opportunities to express what their decks are trying to do. Ideally, they enjoy the experience enough that destroying you becomes quite low on their list of priorities. Besides, the more smoothly everyone else's deck functions, the more opportunities Yume has to generate value in return. \n\nWhile the deck is built around politics, it isn't sacrificing consistency to do so. Underneath the diplomatic package is a fairly traditional mono-white value engine built on recursion, catch-up ramp, and efficient interaction.\n\nTraditional symmetrical Group Hug effects are less appealing in this deck. Yume works best when the benefits of cooperation are targeted rather than universal. Symmetrical effects can still build goodwill, but they should be tools for negotiation rather than the deck’s foundation. The goal isn’t to make everyone equal. It’s to make working with Yume the most attractive option at the table. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Choosing an Ally"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nRather than helping the entire table equally, many of the deck's effects create temporary partnerships. Each game becomes a series of small alliances that shift as the board develops. Many of the deck's cards let opponents make meaningful choices. Even when they're my cards, other players remain involved, giving them agency in the game.\n\nEvery game, find the player who benefits most from working with you. Sometimes it's the player who's behind on board. Sometimes it's the player best positioned to answer the biggest threat. Every table also reacts differently to a political strategy, so identifying who is most receptive to working with you is one of the most important skills you'll develop while piloting Yume. These alliances are temporary, and the hardest part of the deck is knowing when to shift your support.\n\nMaintaining goodwill is often worth more than having a powerful defensive permanent in play. White has access to plenty of powerful defensive tools. The challenge is that many of them are inherently antagonistic, restricting opponents' choices or taxing their resources. Every card that taxes or reduces player agency makes it harder to convince people to cooperate with Yume.\n\nBecause the power of this deck relies in the gameplay and not the card selections, its power can not be easily explained with the bracket system. I could see it winning in bracket 2 or 3 games, but 4s will probably be too explosive, or more importantly, more interested in winning. \n\nI'm still torn on Smothering Tithe. It's an obvious slam dunk in this deck (or any deck, lol), but I think the way it changes how the table perceives me does not make it worth it. It's just annoying, and Yume's not trying to be annoying. \n\nThe deck doesn't avoid interaction, but it does try to avoid resentment. Not to say that wiping the board won't feel frustrating to at least someone. Finding the balance between survival and goodwill is one of the deck's central deck-building challenges. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Winning the Game"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nGroup Hug decks are notorious for finishing second. \n\nAt the moment, I'm less interested in forcing a dedicated combo finish than I am in staying politically invisible long enough for a win condition to naturally present itself. If the deck spends the entire game drawing extra cards while accumulating lands and treasure tokens, it should eventually find a way to close the game. \n\nThis deck is completely capable of outvaluing someone in the end game, with the sheer amount of cards and mana I have. I haven't decided yet whether I want this deck to act exclusively as \"the bank\" in an unusual three-player game, or if I'm genuinely the fourth player trying to win. It feels like both, and I think if it were one or the other, I'd feel disappointed. \n\nIt'll be up to my opponents how they treat me at the end of the day. Building this deck has been an exercise in discovering how valuable a resource player agency actually is. Whether or not you can leverage that is whether or not you can win. \n\nThe best 'win-con' for me in this deck is ending the game in a tie. It feels flavorful and absolutely right. At the end of the day, if I'm the player that offers a tie from a dedicated 8-mana card like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Divine Intervention"}},{"insert":", that feels as satisfying to me as a win. Whether that's satisfying to my opponents is up to them. \n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Celestial Convergence"}},{"insert":", seven whole turns, and then an incredibly well-timed "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arbiter of Knollridge"}},{"insert":", all resulting in a collective tie, would feel very satisfying to pull off. Arbiter of Knollridge probably needs flash from "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vedalken Orrery"}},{"insert":" to really work out. You can run "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Solemnity"}},{"insert":", then play Celestial Convergence, then it's on your next upkeep. Honestly, this is lots of cards that need to be in my hand for this to work, not to mention how antagonistic some of those cards feel for my fellow players. This is a combo finish, which is not really that interesting to me. Nevertheless, Celestial Convergence sitting on the battlefield seems fun, so I'll play it a couple of times and see how it makes others interact. \n\nThe current actual primary win condition is much less interesting than the way there: \n\nGenerate a large amount of mana and cards.\nCast "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Approach of the Second Sun"}},{"insert":".\nDraw back into it quickly and cast it again.\n\nThe deck has a few ways to accelerate this process, including bouncing your own Approach with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reprieve"}},{"insert":" or"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bilbo's Gambit"}},{"insert":" to enable both casts in the same turn.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Perch Protection"}},{"insert":" can win the game if you empower the right player at the right time. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Cards I'm Considering (Sideboard)"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThis deck is a thought experiment. If I eventually decide it needs a more deterministic finish, mono-white has a ton of powerful options: \n\nGo-wide token strategy with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sacred Mesa"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Luminarch Ascension"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hoofprints of the Stag"}},{"insert":", then just cast "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Akroma's Will"}},{"insert":"or something. Probably about fifteen different token-making cards and I'll be able to pull this win out consistently. There's better decks out there for this strategy. "},{"attributes":{"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Blow up the board, blow up lands, white control deck that destroys everyone’s bedtime. "},{"attributes":{"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Two-card combo finishes like:"},{"attributes":{"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rest in Peace"}},{"insert":" +"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Helm of Obedience"}},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Painter's Servant"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grindstone"}},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Walking Ballista"}},{"insert":" +"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Heliod, Sun-Crowned"}},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"true"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nYou do draw lots of cards, so cards like"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reliquary Tower"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spellbook"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thought Vessel"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Library of Leng"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Anvil of Bogardan"}},{"insert":"are tempting. I think discarding to 7 every turn is great for my recursion package, but if you want to dedicate some slots to preserving your hand size, go for it. I tried to find a discard win-condition, but there really isn't a good one in white, as far as I know. It's not good for people's mental states if you're hanging around with a grip of 30 cards. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"TL;DR"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nYume is Political Midrange: instead of forcing value, I build a deck full of effects my opponents genuinely want to help me cast. By giving players resources, agency, and reasons to cooperate, I turn politics into a resource, forming temporary alliances, staying non-threatening, and eventually outvaluing the table. The goal isn't to hug everyone; it's to make helping Yume the best deal at the table. \n\n\n"}]}