{"ops":[{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Hello brewers,"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nBackground is a new legendary enchantment subtype introduced in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate. If you select a legendary creature with the “Choose a Background” ability as your commander, you may start the game with both that creature and a legendary Background enchantment in the command zone. This adds the Background’s color to the color identity of your deck, working similarly to the Partner mechanic. For this month’s "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.cardkingdom.com/"},"insert":"Card Kingdom"},{"insert":"-sponsored contest, we’re exploring this new deckbuilding design space!\n\nSubmissions are accepted on both Twitter and Archidekt! Details below.\n\nWhat’s the contest all about?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Working within the parameters of the prompt provided below, construct a decklist with your own creative spin. Three chosen finalists will be awarded store credit to "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.cardkingdom.com/"},"insert":"cardkingdom.com"},{"insert":". \n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"For May’s deckbuilding contest, brew a Commander/EDH deck utilizing the new Background mechanic from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate. Your other 98 cards do not need to be from Baldur’s Gate, but your Background should be essential to the deck’s goal. "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nCheck out "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/commander-legends-battle-baldurs-gate-mechanics-2022-05-18"},"insert":"this article"},{"insert":" for additional information about Background and other Baldur’s Gate mechanics. \n\nHere’s how to participate:"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Brew an EDH/Commander legal deck on Archidekt that satisfies the prompt.\nAny unreleased cards spoiled during the contest’s duration are allowed."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Silver-bordered, while cool, are not allowed. "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Digital-only cards (such as those designed for the Alchemy format on Arena) are not allowed."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Strictly one deck submitted per user. "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Reply to either this newspost or "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://twitter.com/archidekt/status/1530288024231231496?s=20&t=uZaVZ_zsWEuA1tIgDexytQ"},"insert":"the announcement tweet"},{"insert":" from the "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://twitter.com/archidekt"},"insert":"@archidekt"},{"insert":" account on Twitter with a link to your deck "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"before 9:00pm ET (UTC -4, currently) on Friday, June 3, 2022"},{"insert":". Only one submission per user! From the eligible submissions, we'll select three finalists with lists that we believe best embody the spirit of the prompt. Additional characteristics by which your deck may be judged include playability and uniqueness (i.e. “spice”); budget has no direct bearing on your chances to win. Deck descriptions are not required but certainly may provide valuable context!\n\nOn "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Saturday, June 4, 2022"},{"insert":", we'll tweet out a poll for the community to vote on its favorite of the three selected finalists' lists. Any finalists who submitted their lists on Archidekt will be notified via the email associated with their account. We’ll also publish a newspost on Archidekt announcing the finalists and linking to the poll on Twitter. Each finalist will be awarded store credit to cardkindom.com. The value of the credit is in US dollars and depends on the finalist's placement in the community poll at the end of its two day duration:\n1st Place Prize - $50"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"2nd Place Prize - $30"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"3rd Place Prize - $20"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Finalists will be contacted via Twitter or email (depending on where they submitted) regarding their winnings following the conclusion of the poll by Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Please note, you must have a Card Kingdom account in order to receive your winnings. It's quick and free-- register here if you don't have an account already!\n\nAn important note:"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Unfortunately, due to wild variance in contest laws, eligibility is limited to residents of the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec). We’d love to allow all of our users to participate, but ensuring we are legally compliant with each country’s national laws is too great a barrier. For additional information regarding eligibility, check our "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/contestRules"},"insert":"official contest rules"},{"insert":". \n\nCongratulations to April’s winners! "},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"1st Place: "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/user/4123"},"insert":"Cannelbrae"},{"insert":" - "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2644174#70_kinds_of_counter"},"insert":"70 Kinds of Counters"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"2nd Place: "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/user/170345"},"insert":"guyawn"},{"insert":" - "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2637391#All_Hallow's_Evelyn"},"insert":"All Hallow's Evelyn"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"3rd Place: "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/user/76872"},"insert":"HelenaBruh"},{"insert":" - "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2632697#Who's_That_Pok%C3%A9mon?_It's_Worldspine_Wurm"},"insert":"Who's That Pokémon? It's 𝔚𝔬𝔯𝔩𝔡𝔰𝔭𝔦𝔫𝔢 𝔚𝔲𝔯𝔪"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThank you!"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"If you have any other questions, feel free to ask here or reach, on Twitter, or in our "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://discord.gg/eZg3mvJd7v"},"insert":"newly public Discord server"},{"insert":". We look forward to seeing what you all come up with! \n\nThe Archidekt Team\n\n"}]}
Edited 5/27/2022, 8:42:51 PM
7
{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2778877#Wilson,_the_FBI's_Most_Wanted_Bear"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2778877#Wilson,_the_FBI's_Most_Wanted_Bear"},{"insert":"\n\nHere we have a deck built around Criminal Past, giving your commander +X/+0 based on how many creatures are in your graveyard, and by self milling as fast as possible your commander will become unbelievably large. And after filling the grave with bodies the culprit is revealed to be... a bear? Wilson, Refined Grizzly is a keyword machine that holds the boost from Criminal Past extremely well, AND puts the deck into Golgari colors, perfect for filling up the grave.\n\nTo make the most enormous bear possible, and have the longest list of crimes imaginable, there is only one way to go... a monster mash deck using only 15 non-creature spells in the whole deck, meaning Wilson has the potential to become, at max power, a 49/2 Uncounterable, Vigilance, Reach, Trample, Ward 2, Menace bear! And just in case it doesn't feel safe to swing with Wilson, we do still have cards like Jarad to blow our opponents to pieces with Wilson's bloated power, and Syr Konrad to lower their life in case our grave isn't big enough for a one-shot or take over as a win condition should Wilson or Criminal Past get removed to many times.\n"}]}
Edited 5/31/2022, 10:59:28 PM
5
{"ops":[{"insert":"So I decided to go with a token strategy using wilson and inspiring leader. I feel as though Wilson being the best boy that he is would be quite an inspiring leader for all those weaker tokens. Under his leadership they're sure to be victorious in combat and thrive on the battlefield!\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/2787179#My_Only_Home\n"}]}
3
{"ops":[{"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2774842#Used_Dragon_Salesman\nDragons? In "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Simic"},{"insert":"? It's more likely than you think!\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Renari, Merchant of Marvels"}},{"insert":" helps us circumvent the once-per-turn rule of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Acolyte of Bahamut"}},{"insert":" by triggering it on our opponent's turns too! And with all these new dragon cards, there's a surprising amount of support to run a ridiculous amount of dragons... in fact, there's 23 of them in the deck! Plenty enough to be considered tribal and let you throw dragons out like mad.\nThe deck wants to win in either good ol' Simic value and stompy methods, using ramp and other cost reducers "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Urza's Incubator"}},{"insert":" and card draw like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kindred Discovery"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Garruk's Uprising"}},{"insert":", and plenty more to sling dragons like bullets.\nAfter that, you can get "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kairi, the Swirling Sky"}},{"insert":" to remove most of our opponents' boards and let us go in for the kill. While not "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"exactly"},{"insert":" win-cons, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reflections of Littjara"}},{"insert":" can get you ridiculous value with your draw engines to go crazy, especially paired with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Frontier Siege"}},{"insert":" or the previously mentioned Kairi to really get enemy boards cleaned for the kill. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beastmaster Ascension"}},{"insert":" is always great for setting your opponent's life totals to 0, and if you can't wipe their board the hard way there's always "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bower Passage"}},{"insert":" which make sure even their best birds won't stop the funeral.\nAnd remember, Renari only wants to get you the absolute "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"best"},{"insert":" deals on your new used dragons!\n"}]}
Edited 5/29/2022, 3:06:11 AM
3
{"ops":[{"insert":"I had been struggling to make a deck concept work for the longest time in Jund and it wasn't until this set that I found the perfect Rakdos commander pair for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ball Lightning"}},{"insert":" Tribal!\n\nPlaying cheap, high-power creatures that sacrifice themselves typically runs out of cards and leaves your board completely vulnerable. Enter "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar"}},{"insert":" the "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dragon Cultist"}},{"insert":", a combination that solves exactly that. \n\nWhile it is mana hungry to get your engine set up, there are plenty of effects that payoff both attacking and dying like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Professional Face-Breaker"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Pawn of Ulamog"}},{"insert":". \n\nOnce you hit 4 and 5 mana you need both your commanders on the board as soon as possible. From there, let the beat-down commence! Nearly all the \"Lightning\" spells can hit immediately and have at least 5 power in order to trigger Dragon Cultist. Swing in, sacrifice them for massive card draw, and then get a 4/4 flying blocker to protect you. Anthem and buff effects like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ogre Battledriver"}},{"insert":" not only give haste to the few heavy hitters that need it, but also give you more card draw from sacrifice. Even supporting cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Heraldic Banner"}},{"insert":" can take your dragons over the threshold to generate more dragons on their own! Some effects seem"},{"attributes":{"color":"var(--color)"},"insert":" like a nonbo, but getting an end of turn dragon buffed off of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"In the Web of War"}},{"attributes":{"color":"var(--color)"},"insert":" can be used for more cards during an instant speed sacrifice or turned into extra damage with cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Warstorm Surge"}},{"attributes":{"color":"var(--color)"},"insert":". These cards pull double duty removing pesky blockers and even supplying the 5 damage requirement without attacking. One of my favorite cards is actually "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skullclamp"}},{"attributes":{"color":"var(--color)"},"insert":". While it's generically good with the death triggers and tokens we are already getting, we can actually use the +1/-1 to buff our dragons! You can even accidentally win with a go-wide strategy getting enough dragons, or buffing something like your mass of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sifter of Skulls"}},{"attributes":{"color":"var(--color)"},"insert":" tokens with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Homura, Human Ascendant // Homura's Essence"}},{"attributes":{"color":"var(--color)"},"insert":". "},{"insert":"\n\nThis deck lets me use alot of Timmy-tastic pet cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Doom Weaver"}},{"insert":", that wouldn't normally have a home in any other decklist. It's a fun way to hit hard with power matters while being surprisingly resilient. You really need both the background and the commander's abilities in tandem to make the deck work, so I like that both cards feel important for the strategy.\n\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/2755669#Shockers_&_Spheroids_-_Ball_Lightning_Tribal\n"}]}
Edited 6/3/2022, 8:02:57 PM
2
{"ops":[{"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/2771254#The_ultimate_hero\n\n\nInstead of building around one background, I've decided to build around all the backgrounds. Enter "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sisay, Weatherlight Captain"}},{"insert":" whose activated ability lets us search up legendary permanents which coincidentally backgrounds are. The deck is aiming to be Voltron although it's a little unique in that most of our buffs are tied to the backgrounds so if our opponents kill Sisay we don't really lose much. In the spirit of Baldur's Gate I'm also trying out the new gate's package to see if it's finally viable. Finally, no hero would be complete without their trusty animal companion, and of course, Sisay's an overachiever and has all 5 of the Commander Legend's familiars. It's not exactly following the prompt but I'd been wanting to make Voltron Sisay for a while now and am glad for the chance.\n"}]}
2
{"ops":[{"insert":"Haha, I had the exact same idea! I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw backgrounds and immediately thought of Sisay!\n"}]}
0
{"ops":[{"insert":"wilson leads an army of bears and warriors to their death, but that’s a good thing because they just come back anyway\n\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2784456#Bears_never_die_and_neither_do_warriors"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2784456#Bears_never_die_and_neither_do_warriors"},{"insert":"\n"}]}
2
{"ops":[{"insert":"Forgot to mention the deck’s also budget\n"}]}
0
{"ops":[{"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2774097#Wilson,_Refined_Cultist_of_the_Absolute_Grizzly\n\nWilson grew up in the forest. He felt he life was rather boring. He was wise and developed a tea from squirrel carcasses and would obviously drink it pinkies up. One day, he stumbled upon a group of Vecna cultists and was able to convince them to accept him as a fellow member. He now spends his days making deals with dragons and troll shamans, sacrificing many creatures to his new god, all in order to gather enough strength to become the all power lich lord he could ever wish to be.\n"}]}
2
{"ops":[{"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2773171#The_Library_of_Giants\n\nThis deck wants to use "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vhal, Candlekeep Researcher"}},{"insert":" 's toughness (which is now massive thanks to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Raised by Giants"}},{"insert":" ) to generate obscene amounts of mana.\n\nSpecial shout-outs to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gemstone Array"}},{"insert":" (to circumvent the \"not from hand\" restriction) and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Helix Pinnacle"}},{"insert":" (which can be filled up "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"absurdly"},{"insert":" fast)\n"}]}
2
{"ops":[{"insert":"While I figured many would try to brew up something around the new "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Volo, Itinerant Scholar"}},{"insert":", I thought I'd try to make things a bit more interesting with him. Sure, you could just throw the best possible creatures in there of different high-powered tribes, or you could build Changeling tribal to guarantee a hit every time. What I settled on was a way to pay homage to the many of the least used tribes according to EDHRec while still trying to assemble a playable brew. Hence the deck name: Volo's Variegated Varmints. Simic seemed the best color combination to gather the most of the low-use creature types, but I was having trouble with selecting a background until I thought about the interaction between "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Maskwood Nexus"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Acolyte of Bahamut"}},{"insert":". A 2 mana discount to every creature in my deck? Count me in.\n\nSo how does it work? Well of course there are a few tutors to try and pull out the Nexus in the first place, though I've made sure it isn't absolutely necessary and is more of a value piece that enables many different strategies. For example. the only blue Mercenary, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Seahunter"}},{"insert":", can tutor any creature in your deck directly to the battlefield since Nexus makes all of them Merfolk. Nexus also makes all of your creatures pseudo-unblockable with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Serpent of Yawning Depths"}},{"insert":". Plus, with bounce creatures like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"First Responder"}},{"insert":", you can keep recasting your creatures and pulling out any creature types you want to keep Volo's journal filled to the brim for maximum draw, and thanks to the new "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ancient Silver Dragon"}},{"insert":" (with the Elder type!) and the somewhat less new "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn"}},{"insert":", we'll never have to dump off the extra. To untap Volo we have the only Minion in our colors, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tidewater Minion"}},{"insert":", plus "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Biomancer's Familiar"}},{"insert":" to both give us the Mutant creature type.\n\nBoardstate contains all the cards I didn't really have a category for as I was fulfilling as many low-use creature types as I could. If "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Meng Huo, Barbarian King"}},{"insert":" is too pricy, we can always replace him with the much cheaper new card, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ambitious Dragonborn"}},{"insert":". Thanks to the reprint, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bramble Sovereign"}},{"insert":" has crept down in price and can double up on all our best creatures as well as give us the Dryad type, and also serves as a bit of a callback to the original "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Volo, Guide to Monsters"}},{"insert":". The other categories are pretty self-explanatory, though I feel I should briefly delve into one other before this little primer is over.\n\nLet's take a little guided tour through the Finishers. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Pathbreaker Ibex"}},{"insert":" is the GOAT in more ways than one, especially when paired with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Augmenter Pugilist // Echoing Equation"}},{"insert":" which can double as a Troll if we desperately need the extra draw. We already talked about our Serpent pal, but in the right game, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nephalia Moondrakes"}},{"insert":" can be just as powerful. Finally "},{"insert":{"card-link":"End-Raze Forerunners"}},{"insert":" might be a bit boar-ing, but it gets the job done. And all of these but Echoing Equation can be easily acquired with our Seahunter combo. Sure, winning with combat damage might be a little old school nowadays in EDH, but I'll bet this band of beasties can beat the odds. Cheers and good luck to my fellow brewers.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/2772881#Volo's_Variegated_Varmints"},"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/2772881#Volo's_Variegated_Varmints"},{"insert":"\n\n"}]}
Edited 5/28/2022, 6:01:43 PM
2
{"ops":[{"insert":"Not sure if its too late, but here's my entry:\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/2797325#The_Entertainers\n\nThe goal of the deck is to use the background, Criminal Past, to pump our commander, Baeloth to have most of our opponent's creatures goaded. Because this involves putting creatures in the graveyard, the rest of the deck is an aristocrats/reanimator shell with some cheap interaction. More specific cards are in the deck's description.\n"}]}
1
{"ops":[{"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2787336#Groad\n\nThis deck is all about goading your opponents creatures, keeping them goaded and then gaining value through curses.\n"}]}
1
{"ops":[{"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2792494#Tavern_Vhal-tron\n\nWhat better way to unwind, after a long day's work at Candlekeep library, than by cracking some skulls in a bar fight?\n\nThe goal of this deck is to:\n(a) put a huge spell on top of your deck, then \n(b) exile the huge spell with Tavern Brawler, then \n(c) crack your opponent with a pumped up Vhal, then \n(d) switch Vhal's power and toughness with e.g. Merfolk Thaumaturgist, then \n(e) tap Vhal for mana to cast the exiled spell.\n"}]}
1
{"ops":[{"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/2771513#Ambergris,_Some_Clerics_Raise_th'_Dead,_Others_Create_'em\n\nI've typed up a whole thing on that page that explains the purpose of the deck, the purpose of many of the cards, and how it works. Long story short, this deck combines Amber Gristle O'Maul with the Criminal past Background to make a deck that digs quickly through its library, makes its commander hit like a truck, and can finish off with commander damage or mass reanimation. I've enjoyed playtesting it!\n"}]}
1
{"ops":[{"insert":"Looks like the deck is listed as private. Please toggle that off when you have a moment! \n"}]}
0
{"ops":[{"insert":"Here I present Backgrounds Dot Deck! Why showcase one background when you can showcase them all! Mainly a Voltron/Enchantress strategy that plays into the strength of all the backgrounds being legendary. Let me know what you think!\n\nThe challenge was to showcase the backgrounds of CLB. So, why not showcase as many as possible! Enter Sisay, Weatherlight Captain. She can go fetch whichever background is of best use to you at the moment.\n\nAdding to the versatility of Backgrounds as Voltron, Sisay lends herself to efficiently grab enchantress pay-offs like ramp, card draw, and legends that pay you for playing enchantments. It's an amazing bonus that all the backgrounds are legendary.\n\nWherever possible, I opted to go for legends. For example, Mangara of Coronder as removal. It's slower than something like Assassin's Trophy but it tutorable by Sisay. This is the same for ramp and card draw. Chromatic Orrery is slow if drawn, but great if you can grab it off your commander. And most of the card draw is on cast, so a little anti-synergistic with Sisay, but is able to be fetched by Sisay before you start casting all your drawn backgrounds.\n\nThere are a couple of great enchantments missing from list, like All that Glitters. But again, I opted for things like Blackblade Reforged that we can go get with Sisay.\n\nAnd that's the deck. It isn't the most efficient or top-tier Voltron you can put together, especially with Sisay leading the way. But it's a fun list that really lets one test the flavor of backgrounds.\n\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/2788629#Backgrounds_dot_deck\n"}]}
Edited 6/1/2022, 4:34:43 PM
1
{"ops":[{"insert":"Y'know, treasure tokens are pretty neat. You tap, them, and you get mana. But then the token goes away and you have to make more treasure tokens. From a game balance perspective, that makes sense. However, I don't want it to make sense. Thankfully, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Jaheira, Friend of the Forest"}},{"insert":" is here to turn all of my treasures into plants that I can tap for mana WITHOUT sacrificing them. Better yet, the background "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Guild Artisan"}},{"insert":" can make it so that when you attack with Jaheria, you make two treasure tokens, which are effectively 2 lands per turn, guaranteed. However, attacking with a 2/3 every turn can get pretty risky as it's prone to get blocked and die, so that's why equipment that gives indestructible (like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hammer of Nazahn"}},{"insert":" ) is very valuable. So now that you've got a bunch of expensive plants, what do you do? Play "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hellkite Tyrant"}},{"insert":" . Since you aren't sacrificing your treasure tokens for mana, getting 20 of them can happen pretty fast, so the real struggle is just keeping Hellkite Tyrant alive, which thankfully we already have plenty of ways of doing due to needing to keep Jaheira alive. Now all you need to do is pray that your opponents don't all run "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vandalblast"}},{"insert":" and you get to have fun!\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/2787108#Expensive_Plants\n"}]}
1