{"ops":[{"insert":"Chulane Creaturestorm"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\nThe Basics"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Chulane, Teller of Tales"}},{"insert":" is a mid-range value commander that has lost some of its shine in recent years. Not being in black or red means you miss out on the best tutors, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Underworld Breach"}},{"insert":" lines, "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":"and possibly the single best card in the format in "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Dockside Extortionist"}},{"insert":" haha fuck you Dockside get rekt. We also play a lot of x/1 mana dorks, and we draw a "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"ton "},{"insert":"of cards, both of which make us exceptionally vulnerable to a well-timed "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Orcish Bowmasters"}},{"insert":".\n\nIt's not all bad news, however. Being a creature-based deck means we dodge a lot of the interaction pieces in the current meta. Our commander shares a creature type with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grand Abolisher"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ranger-Captain of Eos"}},{"insert":", and the new "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Voice of Victory"}},{"insert":", which means we can profitably run "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cavern of Souls"}},{"insert":". And recent sets have focused on making White a viable cEDH color, giving us some new toys in "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Trouble in Pairs"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Delney, Streetwise Lookout"}},{"insert":". Chulane is also well-positioned in the current midrange-heavy meta; with only a handful of turbo decks in the format and everyone well aware of what they are and what they can do, we are well-suited to letting other decks eat interaction, then following up on the window that creates. The longer the game goes, the better our chances, because we will simply generate so much more mana than almost any other deck. Our lands stick around forever; the same can't be said of Treasures and rituals.\n\nWe also have an advantage in that many of our cards are one-card combos. Landing a single haymaker card can snowball into winning the game very easily.\n\n\nThe Opening Hand"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"We're not a turbo deck, and we're never going to compete with something like RogSi on speed. Our opening hand wants a value engine, one or two sources of mana acceleration, and a couple lands. Landing an early "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rhystic Study"}},{"insert":" goes a long way towards getting the deck rolling. If you have a bounce creature, that works nicely too.\n\n\nThe Game Plan"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The first two turns are going to be development turns. Reading the pod is a tremendously important skill with a deck that plays this many dorks. You don't want to play four dorks and get them all eaten by a single Bowmasters. Get your value engine set up and rolling, and get Chulane down. Again, we're not a turbo deck. You don't need to go all-in on a T2 Chulane. You "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"do "},{"insert":"want him out early enough that you can be threatening but not the clear threat.\n\n\nThe Lines"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"As mentioned, we have a lot of one- and two-card combos. Our main combo lines are obvious:\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Earthcraft"}},{"insert":" - Landing Earthcraft turns every single creature we have into a mana dork and lets you deterministically draw your deck with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shrieking Drake"}},{"insert":" and an "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Island"}},{"insert":".\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Intruder Alarm"}},{"insert":" - we're running a bunch of mana dorks and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Destiny Spinner"}},{"insert":". Intruder Alarm means infinite mana. Infinite mana is good.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cloudstone Curio"}},{"insert":" - the most (in)famous combo piece in the deck. Play a creature, Chulane triggers, put a land into play, return a land to hand, return a creature to hand. Play the creature you bounced, draw a card, put the land you bounced into play, bounce another land and another creature.\n"},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Aluren"}},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":" - all our creatures are free. This one's obvious. Be careful because your opponents can also cast creatures for free at flash speed, so playing this means someone can layer a Thoracle on top of your win attempt. You want to have a Grand Abolisher or other "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Silence"}},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":" effect out. Even "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Lavinia, Azorius Renegade"}},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":" can be enough."},{"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blind Obedience"}},{"insert":" - this is more of a backup combo but it enables a wincon without Chulane or through certain hate pieces. You'll need a repeatable way to generate a blue and a white mana - "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bloom Tender"}},{"insert":" with Intruder Alarm; Aluren and Earthcraft; or something along those lines. Then you can simply cast Shrieking Drake infinitely and pay the extort cost to drain out the table.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ashaya, Soul of the Wild"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Quirion Ranger"}},{"insert":" - All your creatures are forests. Tap a forest dork to cast Quirion Ranger. Activate Quirion Ranger, returning it to hand to untap a forest-dork. Repeat. This gives you infinite draws with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dour Port-Mage"}},{"insert":" or Chulane. You can assemble this line with a single tutor thanks to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nature's Rhythm"}},{"insert":". You need at least 5{G}{G} and any combination of four green mana or non-summoning-sick creatures. Cast Nature's Rhythm on 5 with the 5{G}{G} to put Ashaya onto the battlefield. Cast Nature's Rhythm on 3 for its Harmonize cost using the additional green mana or your now-forests to put Ranger-Captain of Eos onto the battlefield. With the search trigger on the stack, sacrifice Ranger-Captain, locking your opponents out. Ranger-Captain puts Quirion Ranger in your hand. From here you should win the game easily.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Delney, Streetwise Lookout"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Starfield Vocalist"}},{"insert":" - With one of these in play, cast Quirion Ranger. Activate it, bouncing a land and untapping a creature. Play Shrieking Drake, putting the land you bounced into play. The doubled ETB trigger also causes Shrieking Drake to trigger twice. Return Quiron Ranger and Shrieking Drake to your hand. You just need either a dork to untap, a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lotus Cobra"}},{"insert":" effect, or a second land in the four draws that you get from each loop to be deterministically infinite. \n\nWe're also running two creatures that bounce themselves. Shrieking Drake and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Whitemane Lion"}},{"insert":" fill the same niche of a creature that can be played infinitely in order to trigger Chulane and draw through our deck. Whitemane Lion plays at Flash speed, which means you can execute a win attempt on top of someone else's interaction or own win attempt.\n\n\nThe Spice"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#008a00"},"insert":"Enduring Vitality"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Enduring Vitality"}},{"insert":" is a more resilient "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cryptolith Rite"}},{"insert":" that also triggers Chulane. What's not to love?\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Kor Skyfisher"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":"Traditionally this slot has gone to "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Dream Stalker"}},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":" since it's slightly better with Earthcraft, because your islands are hits for both it and Shrieking Drake and Drake is your best bounce creature. However, "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Talion, the Kindly Lord"}},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":" exists and is both extremely good and extremely popular. Talion will always come down on either 1 or 2. Dream Stalker triggers Talion on both; "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Kor Skyfisher"}},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":" only triggers Talion on 2."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Knock knock."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Who's there?"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Aven."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Aven wh-"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"AVEN INTERRUPTER."},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Fetchlands"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Yes, we're only running six fetchlands out of a potential ten. Fetchlands are amazing for mana fixing. They're very good with one or more Lotus Cobra effects in play. But they're "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"terrible "},{"insert":"when you are trying to go off, draw one, crack it, and fail to find. You want lands that generate mana and do so immediately. For the same reason, the MKM surveil lands ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lush Portico"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hedge Maze"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Meticulous Archive"}},{"insert":") are unplayable for us.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Arbor Elf"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arbor Elf"}},{"insert":" has been an include in these lists since the deck was first built. Arbor Elf is bad. Out of our 26 non-fetch lands, it untaps 10 of them. If there was a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Birds of Paradise"}},{"insert":" that said \"Roll a d10. On a 4 or less, add one mana of any color,\" would you play it? Of course not. Arbor Elf sucks. Play better creatures.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Sylvan Library"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"I love "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sylvan Library"}},{"insert":", but it's 30 years old and showing its age. 8 life is no longer a meaningless amount, since you're paying life into The One Ring, potential beats from "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tymna the Weaver"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kraum, Ludevic's Opus"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Atraxa, Grand Unifier"}},{"insert":", or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tivit, Seller of Secrets"}},{"insert":", and random damage from things like Orcish Bowmasters or Talion. The One Ring and Trouble in Pairs may be more expensive to cast, but won't get you killed and don't take a full turn cycle to start working.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Mana Breach"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Yes, it's a combo piece, but "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mana Breach"}},{"insert":" is a combo piece I'm never really happy to see. Playing it feels bad. Trying to use it to turn into a win feels worse unless you have one of your bounce creatures anyway, at which point Mana Breach becomes nearly superfluous. At this point I'd rather play one more value engine and draw into a better combo piece. "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":"Notably, "},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Trophy Mage"}},{"attributes":{"strike":true},"insert":" is close to being cut for a similar reason, but first there needs to be something worth cutting it for."},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Trophy Mage"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Murders at Karlov Manor gave us the Delney bounce line, which I'm finding surprisingly easy to assemble and less vulnerable to stack interaction than Cloudstone Curio. Curio's still really good and will almost certainly never be cut, but after playing the deck a number of times with Delney in it, I'm comfortable saying that we no longer need to play a bad 3-CMC creature whose only purpose is finding Curio. Cutting Trophy Mage creates space to put "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Aven Mindcensor"}},{"insert":" back in"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":". "},{"insert":"If you'd prefer a flexible removal piece like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skyclave Apparition"}},{"insert":" or another tutor like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Invasion of Ikoria // Zilortha, Apex of Ikoria"}},{"insert":" here, go nuts.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Collector Ouphe"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Dauntless Dismantler"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The death of Dockside Extortionist means that these are much less necessary now to slow down the win-out-of-nowhere Dockside loop meta that existed pre-ban. The loss of Cephalid Breakfast combo potential hurt us quite a bit, so I'd rather squeeze a little bit more gas out of the deck than try to slow down a handful of rocks and assorted random artifacts. Ouphe does shut off a lot of T&T wincons like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hazel's Brewmaster"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Swift Reconfiguration"}},{"insert":" so you may still want to include it.\n\n\nTesting/Meta Calls"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Aluren"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This was a rough cut but I honestly believe it's the second-worst of the non-creature combo lines (Intruder Alarm, Cloudstone Curio, Aluren, Mana Breach/Overburden). Having multiple creature-only lines means we need to start shaving some of the enchantment combo lines. Density of creature tutors means those lines are easier to assemble, harder to interact with, and less telegraphed. Aluren suffers from allowing someone else to win over the top of you with a Thoracle/Consult combo. Other people are shaving Intruder Alarm, which is also a reasonable choice given the density of dorks (and Thrasios decks) in the current meta.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Aven Interrupter"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"I love this card. Cutting it made me sad. But holding up 1{W}{W} isn't always reasonable, and I'm not sure it really gets cast enough to be truly worth the spot.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#008a00"},"insert":"Volatile Stormdrake "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#e60000"},"insert":"Gilded Drake"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Volatile Stormdrake"}},{"insert":" might be "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gilded Drake"}},{"insert":" at home, but it doubles as removal in a pinch. The option to sacrifice whatever you steal is potentially useful to removal symmetrical stax pieces that are preventing us from doing our thing, and "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"might"},{"insert":" be more relevant than stealing 5+ CMC creatures. Including both is also an option, but at the moment I only want one.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#008a00"},"insert":"Reverent Silence"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reverent Silence"}},{"insert":" is an odd effect, but it's a free spell that kills all Rhystics, Mystics, Troubles, Smothering Tithes, Carpets, Sylvan Libraries, and the odd enchantment creature. Giving your opponents 6 life is generally pretty meaningless, and clearing the board of draw engines is pretty neat. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Echoing Calm"}},{"insert":" is a similar effect but only hits all copies of one named enchantment and isn't free, so won't help if one opponent has a fish, one has a Rhystic, and one has a Smothering Tithe or something.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#008a00"},"insert":"Containment Priest"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Containment Priest"}},{"insert":" is a meta call. It shuts down "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy"}},{"insert":", it makes "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sisay, Weatherlight Captain"}},{"insert":" pause briefly (as much as anything can), and if "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Winota, Joiner of Forces"}},{"insert":" sees play where you are, it'll shut her down as well. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Weathered Runestone"}},{"insert":" is certainly better, but it doesn't advance "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"our"},{"insert":" game plan. That said, it's a personal call to swap and I don't think playing Runestone is wrong, especially if Sisay and Kinnan are a big part of the meta you expect to see.\n"}]}