Deckbuilding Contest - November 2024

{"ops":[{"insert":"Plagon deck \"Hit 'em with the beach\"\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9976698/hit_em_with_the_beach"},"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9976698/hit_em_with_the_beach"},{"insert":"\n\nThe deck is a deck with a budget around $200 based around the new commander "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Plagon, Lord of the Beach"}},{"insert":" The deck mainly consists of walls and creatures with a high defense. Most of these serve as beefy threats to discourage opponents from attacking us so we can build up our board to take advantage of the ETB from our commander to draw cards.\n\nThe MVP cards we are looking to draw/tutor into are "},{"insert":{"card-link":"High Alert"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive"}},{"insert":" allowing us to get the activated ability of our commander passively, make our walls able to go on the offensive, and make them unlockable.\n\nOnce we have a small board we want to start blinking our commander in and out of the battlefield with cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ephemerate"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Splash Portal"}},{"insert":" to fill up our hand to get to our threats and once we have a sizable enough of a wall of walls we can use the normally useless "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sacred Rites"}},{"insert":" to dump our hand and pump our board for the final push.\n\nSince our gameplan is a little slower we have some one sided removal like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Expel the Interlopers"}},{"insert":" to buy some time.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"BONUS not for the contest:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"I had built a Shroofus deck before deciding to make one for Plagon so if you are just scrolling through looking for ideas for that commander you can check it out here - "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9962071/shrooftron"},"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9962071/shrooftron"},{"insert":"\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"When I was first looking at the commanders I had a tough time finding a interesting idea to build the deck, so I narrowed down to the few I liked and tought \"what are the most common ways to build this and how I can do something a little different with it?\" Looking at "},{"insert":{"card-link":"General Kreat, the Boltbringer"}},{"insert":" I though the most common themes players would go are Goblins, Aggro and Tokens, then inspiration hit:\n\nThe theme of the deck is the General holding down the fort, but her adviser was none other then "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Norin the Wary"}},{"insert":", so the deck is focused on doing the most damage possible without going into combat.\n\nThe deck have a lot of the usual suspects for burn damage: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Impact Tremors"}},{"insert":" effects to supplement the General's secondary ability; "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Goblin Bombardment"}},{"insert":" effects to convert permanents into damge; effects like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sulfuric Vortex"}},{"insert":" to hit everybody; some hatebears such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Harsh Mentor"}},{"insert":"; a small Monarch package as some of those effects work well with both the Gamplay and the concept behind the deck and some stax like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Silent Arbiter"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Crawlspace"}},{"insert":" paired with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Maze of Ith"}},{"insert":" effects to protect the player from simply being overwhelmed. \n\nGoad is a really good theme in this deck because it plays double duty by making the creatures not attack the player while also spreading damage around and it is on theme for a wary army that just watches everybody fight while we're sitting on our fort.\n\nFinally, the last package is in my opinion the most interesting, as it kept developing as I built the deck. Firsly, the deck is designed to have very few non-basics to play "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Price of Progress"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Magus of the Moon"}},{"insert":" (although I decided not to puy Blood Moon in) to leverage our simple mana base against highly complex mana bases. The decks plays "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Crucible of Worlds"}},{"insert":" alongside cards that discard lands for value such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tectonic Reformation"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Seismic Assault"}},{"insert":" and fetch lands that can be replayed from grave to pull lands from the deck and trigger Landfall multiple times.\n\nLastly, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Glacial Crevasses"}},{"insert":" brings it all together combining the mostly basic manabase that allows the Snow Synergy with Crucible allowing the player to replay lands that were either sacrificed, destroyed or discarded.\n\nThe deck has a couple ways to search artifacts so it can either get the Crucible of Worlds, acess either of the stax pieces, get ramp, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thaumatic Compass // Spires of Orazca"}},{"insert":" to flip it or find "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Expedition Map"}},{"insert":" to find our few useful lands: either one of the fetchlands, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Maze of Ith"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Inventors' Fair"}},{"insert":" (which also allows the map to find it to search artifacts) \n\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/9964278/general_be_wary\n\nEdit to add: the fact the deck only have one damage amplifier (2 if you count the leyline) is somewhat intended, as the concept was dealing multiple instances of small damage instead of just repeating those commanders that play small ping effects to deal massive damage (Thorbrand for exemple)\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"I assume it'll be one of the least popular commanders from Foundations, so I'll present my turbo-ramp/maro-sorcerer build for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Braulios of Pheres Band"}},{"insert":", or as I like to call him, "},{"attributes":{"bold":true,"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9963491"},"insert":"Braulios of Forays Ramp"},{"insert":".\n\nThe deck uses a suite of exponential ramp spells like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Boundless Realms"}},{"insert":", as well as ramp combos built around "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cultivator Colossus"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Perilous Forays"}},{"insert":" to put most or all of the deck's lands into play. The land count fuels an army of maro-sorcerers like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dungrove Elder"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kalonian Twingrove"}},{"insert":", alongside Braulios to stomp on opponents and empower huge draw spells "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rishkar's Expertise"}},{"insert":".\n\nCheck out the deck description for more detail.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"background":"var(--light-background)","color":"var(--color)","link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9984449/bones_king_the_endless_journey"},"insert":"Bone's King, The endless journey"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"background":"var(--light-background)","color":"var(--color)"},"insert":"The strategy of this deck centers on "},{"attributes":{"background":"var(--light-background)","color":"var(--color)"},"insert":{"card-link":"Ozox, the Clattering King"}},{"attributes":{"background":"var(--light-background)","color":"var(--color)"},"insert":" —a creature that, upon dying, creates a 2/1 token, Jumblebones. When Jumblebones leaves the battlefield, it returns Ozox to your hand. "},{"insert":"\nThis cycle of death and return is the core of the deck, enabling you to repeatedly cast and sacrifice "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ozox, the Clattering King"}},{"insert":" to generate resources and trigger powerful death effects.\n\nWith cards like "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Heartless Summoning"}},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Carnival of Souls"}},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Pitiless Plunderer"}},{"insert":", each loop of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ozox, the Clattering King"}},{"insert":" and Jumblebones can generate significant black mana, allowing you to rapidly replay "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ozox, the Clattering King"}},{"insert":". This fuels a range of life-drain effects through cards like "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Bastion of Remembrance"}},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Mirkwood Bats"}},{"insert":", steadily depleting your opponents’ life totals. \n\nDraw engines like "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Midnight Reaper"}},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Grim Haruspex"}},{"insert":", and "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Species Specialist"}},{"insert":" keep the cards flowing every time a creature dies, while "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bolas's Citadel"}},{"insert":" allows you to play cards from the top of your library, extending your reach on each turn. Given the life loss involved, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Aetherflux Reservoir"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Whip of Erebos"}},{"insert":" are invaluable for maintaining your life total and staying in the game.\n\nSacrifice triggers from "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dictate of Erebos"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grave Pact"}},{"insert":" force your opponents to lose creatures each time "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ozox, the Clattering King"}},{"insert":" or Jumblebones die, keeping their board in check. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid's Lantern"}},{"insert":" allows you to capitalize on these sacrifices, giving you additional creatures to protect your life total and add to your offensive.\n\nWith a high density of sacrifice outlets, you can control when "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ozox, the Clattering King"}},{"insert":" and Jumblebones leave the battlefield, allowing you to protect "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ozox, the Clattering King"}},{"insert":" from exile or control effects. \nOnce your death and drain engines are in place, the deck’s life-draining style becomes sustainable, building up toward a lethal "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Exsanguinate"}},{"insert":" or incremental victory.\n\nIn short, this deck leverages the endless cycle of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ozox, the Clattering King"}},{"insert":" and Jumblebones to fuel a loop of sacrifice, mana generation, and life drain that overwhelms opponents through sustained resource advantage and devastating death triggers.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Cowabunga!\nIt's ninja turtles, take a peek\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true,"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/10023456/turtle_power"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/10023456/turtle_power"},{"insert":"\nAlso everything is not a 1:1 comparison, some of it is just vibe based\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Ivora deck \"Insatiable Loot\"\nThe decklist:"},{"attributes":{"background":"#fafafa","link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9988348/ivora_voltron_madness"},"insert":" https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9988348/ivora_voltron_madness"},{"insert":"\n\nI’ve built a deck around one of the most fun and underrated commanders from this set: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ivora, Insatiable Heir"}},{"insert":"! Ivora is a Voltron-style commander that thrives on you constantly discarding cards, making her stronger with each drop.\n\nThe deck’s main strategy revolves around using looting and wheel effects, letting us dig deep into our deck to find powerful equipment, discard synergies, and more draw power. With each discarded card, Ivora grows deadlier and deadlier.\n\nGiven all the drawing and discarding, the deck also has a few solid combos, like pairing "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Underworld Breach"}},{"insert":" with a well-stocked graveyard. Some standout synergies include "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Path of the Pyromancer"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wheel of Fortune"}},{"insert":" +"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Jeska's Will"}},{"insert":" , or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Burning Inquiry"}},{"insert":" to generate massive amounts of mana, an unstoppable Ivora, and potentially mill out our opponents (if we don’t get milled out ourselves first!).\n\nThis deck is fast, powerful, and can make Ivora’s insatiable thirst for blood something our opponents won’t soon forget.\n\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9970818/hm_08"},"insert":"HM 08"},{"insert":"\n\nThis is a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Neerdiv, Devious Diver"}},{"insert":" self-mill deck with a (sort-of) hidden commander in "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Emry, Lurker of the Loch"}},{"insert":". Emry's artifact recursion ability is perfect for reliably triggering Neerdiv's second ability, which leads to bigger mills - and more fuel for Emry.\n\nThe plan is to mill ourselves with Neerdiv and/or cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mesmeric Orb"}},{"insert":", and eventually either win through "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Jace, Wielder of Mysteries"}},{"insert":" / "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thassa's Oracle"}},{"insert":" and an empty library, or through "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mirrodin Besieged"}},{"insert":" and a graveyard full of artifacts. The deck is also more than capable of going the route of milling our opponents to death as well if necessary.\n\nSince both of the linchpins of the deck happen to be Merfolk, there is also a slight Merfolk typal subtheme in the deck. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Drowner of Secrets"}},{"insert":" pairs very well with our commander as it's a great way to tap her without needing to risk anything in combat. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deeproot Pilgrimage"}},{"insert":" is an excellent way to fill our board thanks to both Neerdiv and Emry being able to fairly reliably enable it - plus, combining this with an "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Intruder Alarm"}},{"insert":" is an insanely powerful synergy.\n\nOn the artifact side, we have multiple ways to safely tap Neerdiv, as well as some strong recursion options in "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Crucible of Worlds"}},{"insert":" and - more importantly for Emry - "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Confession Dial"}},{"insert":". Additionally, both "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grand Architect"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Chief Engineer"}},{"insert":" pair very well with Neerdiv's first ability, which combined with all of the other tapping options means we're allowed to play a very passive and reactive game until it's time to pop off.\n\nApologies for the wall of text, but I felt like a Deep "},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Dive"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":" "},{"insert":"was necessary.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Urdnan and the Forgotten Band\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/10040362/urdnan_the_forgotten\nNo one was making a deck for poor "},{"attributes":{"background":"#ffebcc"},"insert":"Urdnan, Dramoka Warrior"},{"insert":" currently at the time of posting he still doesn't have any decks on EDHREC. So I thought why not? Every Commander from Jumpstart Foundations deserves a deck, even if monocolor isn't my thing.\n\nThe main theme of the deck was focusing on Banding, the forgotten Keyword. There are not a lot of cards with it on it but I filled in the rest with smaller synergies like White weenies and some bounce to get some extra use out of the commander and other cards in the deck. Ephilia \nI wanted to make Combat no matter if on Offense or Defense to be in my favor, which banding helps with. So there is a good amount of equipment or enchantments that disrupt and throw off my opponents forcing them to make the wrong decision or if I need to force it with things like "},{"attributes":{"background":"#ffebcc"},"insert":"Trap Runner and Deftblade Elite."},{"insert":"\n\nMy Lieutenants "},{"attributes":{"background":"#ffebcc"},"insert":"Odric, Lunar Marshal, Commander Eesha and Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd "},{"insert":" help try to finish things out or further my gameplan. Eesha gets a band through due to it's protection. Odric to spread out the keywords he can to share the pump. and Phelia just loves to Bounce Urdnan to get some extra counters around. \n\nIn the end this deck feels pretty low to the ground and scrappy, coming out of no where to take someone out. All in all is he the most broken Commander? Of course not but it could end up being fun and fair.\n\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Thurid deck: My little pony, hungry for glory\nDecklist: "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9969069/my_little_pony_hungry_and_horny"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9969069/my_little_pony_hungry_and_horny"},{"insert":"\n\nWhen I first saw the commanders from Foundations Jumpstart, I couldn’t really find a commander I liked. I decided to build a mono green elf deck, but it just felt so boring. I came back to the list, and tried to think “how can I build one of these commanders in a unique way?”. I scrolled through the commanders, and after around 3 scrolls, I stopped with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thurid, Mare of Destiny"}},{"insert":". In general, I don’t really like tribal decks, as they kind of seem straightforward, and have you do the same thing every game, so I wanted to build it in a unique, and most importantly, difficult way so I can really enjoy the deck building. A few years ago, I met a guy who collected every card that had a turtle in its art, subtype, name, rules, and flavor text. I thought this was very cool, and thought about doing it myself, but never really go to it. This was my inspiration for the deck. I built a horse/unicorn/pegasus deck that ONLY has cards that are either one of the subtypes, or include them in the art, name, rules text, or flavor text. This was so fun to do, finding all the cards that fit the criteria, and trying to make the deck actually playable. So, let’s get into the deck.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"How the deck wins:"},{"insert":"\nSo, the deck does have a general basic go wide plan, using the +1/+1 boost from the commander in addition to copying your horse/unicorn/pegasus spells to build a wide and big board. This is done using primarily token makers like "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Pegasus Guardian // Rescue the Foal"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":","},{"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Knight-Captain of Eos"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Crested Sunmare"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Archon of Sun's Grace"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Akroan Horse"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Adeline, Resplendent Cathar"}},{"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Pegasus Stampede"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Sacred Mesa"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Pegasus Refuge"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blessed Sanctuary"}},{"insert":", and more. It then uses more pumpers/boosters to make the army bigger like "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Steadfast Unicorn"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Inspiring Unicorn"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Gandalf, White Rider"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Benalish Marshal"}},{"insert":", etc. and most importantly, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Moonshaker Cavalry"}},{"insert":". \nBut, this may not always work, the format has board wipes, removal spells, etc. So I also wanted to add a combo win. This was one of the more challenging combos I have ever had to find, it took hours of looking through cards, but I believe I have done it. The infinite combo of the deck is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor"}},{"insert":", paired with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archon of Sun's Grace"}},{"insert":", which provides you with infinite pegasus tokens. With "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Knight of Doves"}},{"insert":", you get more tokens, which is relevant as they have flying, but is also a good card in case you only have the "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"insert":"as it gives you a token every time a non land permanent enters under your control. Now, this is kind of niche, so I wanted to add some non-infinite powerful interactions, that I would call combos. These include "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cathars' Crusade"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Basri's Lieutenant"}},{"insert":", unfortunately I could not find a way to sacrifice the tokens, which would make it infinite :(, but getting a new token and a +1/+1 counter on all your creatures whenever a creature you control with a counter on it dies (which is easy to achieve with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cathars' Crusade"}},{"insert":") is still pretty powerful.\n\nBeyond combos, I noticed wizards love printing knights on horses, and knights specifically. This allowed me to create a little knight sub-theme. They heavily contribute to the go-wide plan using "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Knight-Captain of Eos"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" , "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Knight of Doves"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" , "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Adeline, Resplendent Cathar"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Basri's Lieutenant"}},{"insert":". Then they also boost with "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Moonshaker Cavalry"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Knight Exemplar"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Benalish Marshal"}},{"insert":" . \nTe deck also has surprisingly good access to removal, with "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Swords to Plowshares"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Path to Exile"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Joust Through"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Banishing Light"}},{"insert":" as targeted removal, in addition to "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Wrath of God"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" "},{"insert":"and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Cataclysm"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" "},{"insert":"as boardwipes. Though card draw is weak, only playing "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Invasion of Dominaria // Serra Faithkeeper"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":", "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Acclaimed Contender"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Courageous Outrider"}},{"insert":", and"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Angelic Sell-Sword"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"."},{"insert":"\n\n\nOverall I really enjoyed building this deck, and think it turned out pretty cool as it has several win conditions, some of them very unique. And the deck building was so difficult (which is what made is fun).\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"NOTICE: SOME OF THE CARDS HERE ARE NOT THE ART OF THE HORSES/UNICORNS/PEGASI, IN THE DECKLIST THEY ARE CORRECT."},{"insert":"\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"Medusa and All Her Friends: A Gorgon Nightmare Deck\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9975538/medusa_and_all_her_friends"},"insert":"Medusa and All Her Friends • (Commander / EDH deck) • Archidekt"},{"insert":"\n\nThis deck is helmed by "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://scryfall.com/card/j25/40/aphelia-viper-whisperer"},"insert":"Aphelia, Viper Whisperer"},{"insert":" who is a new gorgon assassin commander. Like Medusa, the terrifying monster of ancient Greek Mythology, this gorgon deck was designed to inflict fear and frustration into all players who come up against it.\n\nAs a two-cost commander with extra mana abilities, Aphelia is easy to get out and begin using while the player develops a board state and steadily scales up in their ability to control the game. Creatures in the deck not only follow the monstrous (and primarily gorgon) theme, they also offer a variety of mechanics that allow for great removal and recursion, making it difficult for other players to deal with. All other card types only serve to compliment and exacerbate these effects, some through extreme mechanics including (but not limited to) land destruction, stax, controlling other players, and forced combat with deathtouch creatures. These abilities are varied and distributed throughout the deck to ensure the player will always have something interesting to play on their turn.\n\nIn short, this deck is designed to be terrifying for all but the most confident and well-prepared of heroes to confront.\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Hurska, Double-Dipper [GW Lifelink Bites] ("},{"attributes":{"bold":true,"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9965295"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9965295"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":")"},{"insert":"\n\nHurska Sweet-Tooth loves the sweeter things in life, specifically the ability to get bigger whenever you gain life. Big bites are better than nibbles: we want to gain a lot of life per instance. This deck takes advantage of biting and the first-strike combat damage step to double-dip into your power boosts.\n\n(1) Strike and Lifelink\nThese have or give lifelink and first/double strike, allowing you to gain life and then pass on +X/+X to a creature that deals damage during the normal combat damage step (including itself, perhaps!)\n\n(2) Double Strike\nThese have or give double strike, meaning that every creature can have its cake and eat it too!\n\n(3) Lifelink and Lifegain\nThese give lifelink, enabling more creatures to gain life for you. (Note that Spirit Loop and Armadillo Cloak's triggered abilities are not actually lifelink, so you can triple-dip into your bonuses!)\n\n(4) Removal\nMany of these removal pieces are bite effects (e.g. Bite Down, Cosmic Hunger), dealing a target damage equal to one's power. A lifelink creature biting something before combat damage allows you to pass a big buff to first strike damage, and then you can pass on an even bigger buff to normal combat damage.\n\n(5) Board Wipes\nThese cards can gain you a big burst of life, so if Hurska is still around, you can have an Ursa Major (a Big Dipper)!\n\n(6) Size Matters\nThese cards either double your advantage of having high-powered creatures or make your growth more permanent with +1/+1 counters.\n\n(7-10) Veggies\nThe rest of the deck helps support Hurska's plans: ramp, draw, protection, and lands. Here, there are more cards that care about large power and/or toughness to keep in theme with Hurska's big appetite. (Look for the secret recipe of Kodama of the East Tree, Tireless Provisioner, and Selesnya Sanctuary: infinite Treasures and infinite Food!)\n\nI'd love to hear what you all think, thanks for reading this far!\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/10037960/mono_red_voltron_oo_ik_trully_unique "},"insert":"Cleon, Merry Champion Mono Red Voltron Storm"},{"insert":" with a "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/e/7/e793fae6-ca9a-49e7-b90d-fe7e9c72de0d.jpg?1730485866"},"insert":"commander "},{"insert":"that has double strike at 3 mana lets you build some interesting cards, my first though was mono red enchantments that had combat triggers getting use out of both the heroic trigger and doublestrike but theirs only a couple enchantments \nYou have MLD from"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/4/7/479645b3-54af-4fbf-928e-2224540fe892.jpg?1562909898"},"insert":" Destructive Urge "},{"insert":"XD, Mana ramp+evasion from "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/3/6/3678fa3d-d41f-4b7a-b25e-6fc5f78876c7.jpg?1664411828"},"insert":"Sticky Fingers "},{"insert":"\nExile matters from cards like, "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/a/f/afeb2fe4-f0ef-4366-a568-c36b538f0196.jpg?1717013677"},"insert":"Laelia"},{"insert":", the Blade Reforged or"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/b/d/bda67054-bbd8-4979-801a-a5e9ca335f49.jpg?1651655351"},"insert":" Kami of Celebration "},{"insert":"both getting counters on either Laelia making you have two massive creatures while also drawing you cards. \n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/4/0/40463be5-89e2-410b-9a4b-770f70d14293.jpg?1717012132"},"insert":"Ashling, Flame Dancer "},{"insert":"and "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/4/1/41bab8de-6e0f-4ccd-a303-01e9c8c82d3f.jpg?1593275214"},"insert":"braid of fire "},{"insert":"both giving you more mana to fuel your buff spells as you already have the card draw from your commander, and most buff spells are instant so who cares if you get the mana on your upkeep or with "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/c/7/c7710eb5-c56a-437b-8847-2a829c404d47.jpg?1599710042"},"insert":"Sword of Feast and Famine "},{"insert":"during your combat, getting two potential strikes getting plenty of mana you keep on buffing! \nFinishing with "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/5/2/52dd1712-6937-4630-b44c-952699307da4.jpg?1592754757"},"insert":"Fury of the Horde "},{"insert":"and "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/0/e/0ee67808-abe3-4755-83a0-03681ad5f82f.jpg?1547517395"},"insert":"Seize the Day"},{"insert":", seize the day triggering heroic because why not but extra combat with the 30 trample spells in it really just spell a quick doom for your opponents. \n\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"insert":"The deck I'm s"},{"attributes":{"background":"#ffffff","color":"#001d35"},"insert":"ubmitting "},{"insert":"this time is the Big bottoms of the coast leaded by our favorite starfish with a jellyfish hat, Plagon, Lord of the Beach\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/10046986"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/10046986"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"background":"transparent"},"insert":"With a lot of crabs, walls, turtles, it represents how tough it is to bypass those defenses!"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"background":"transparent"},"insert":"For every player, a commander that is the draw engine, it couldn't be better! Better than this, no one wants to remove your huge draw engine and well, if they do we can just use Ephemerate or Parting Gift to keep our engine going or stopping any attack that can break those walls!"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"background":"transparent"},"insert":"I've been looking for a simple yet resilient deck that can draw a lot of cards and don't need to be afraid to run out of cards as Midnight Clock or Elixir of Immortality will keep your deck full."},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"background":"transparent"},"insert":"Also, with Plagon's ability, your opponent doesn't know what crab/turtle to block as you can use his effect after the blockers are declared!"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"background":"transparent"},"insert":"A huge plus in this deck is that all board wipes actually will be almost one sided, keeping you protected and attacking your opponents."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"background":"transparent"},"insert":"Another thing that I was searching for a deck to do is to not use Sol Ring and Arcane Signet as most creatures and even interaction have low cost, they are actually bad for the first and second turns, you want to keep playing low cost creatures and drawing that much more cards afterwards with your commander."},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"background":"transparent"},"insert":"The stars of the deck are Teyo, Geometric Tactician, Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive and Delney, Streetwise Lookout as they provide a clear way to attack."},{"insert":"\n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Braulion of Pheres Landfall"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nDeck list "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9975810/deckbuilding_contest_november_2024"},"insert":"HERE"},{"insert":".\n\nLandfall has been a favorite mechanic of mine since Zendikar, so of course I had to play around with the commander that wants lots of lands! \n\nBuilt with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Braulios of Pheres Band"}},{"insert":" as the commander, drop multiple lands a turn ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Exploration"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Azusa, Lost but Seeking"}},{"insert":") and use ramp spells for huge creatures based off of your lands! \n\nUse land bounce ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Quirion Ranger"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Scryb Ranger"}},{"insert":") and search lands ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Evolving Wilds"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Terramorphic Expanse"}},{"insert":", +more) while playing lands from your graveyard ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Walk-In Closet // Forgotten Cellar"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ramunap Excavator"}},{"insert":") to keep Landfall triggers hitting multiple times per turn. \n\nPlaying land from the top of your deck ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Oracle of Mul Daya"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Abundance"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Courser of Kruphix"}},{"insert":") helps drive through the deck to cards you need. \n\nSprinkle in some combo work ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Springheart Nantuko"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dryad Arbor"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tireless Provisioner"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lotus Cobra"}},{"insert":") , ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Perilous Forays"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tireless Provisioner"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Scute Swarm"}},{"insert":") , & ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Perilous Forays"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tireless Provisioner"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rampaging Baloths"}},{"insert":") and you're ready for a good time.\n\nDefinitely meant for some kitchen table Magic, the deck should run at the level of an optimized casual deck. Half of the fun is seeing how many times you can play the same land! \n"}]}

{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/10020767"},"insert":"Hurska"},{"insert":"\n\nFor this month’s competition, I’ve chosen "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Hurska Sweet-Tooth"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" "},{"insert":" as my commander. The deck’s primary goal is to win through commander damage, not limited to just my own commander. "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Hurska Sweet-Tooth"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" "},{"insert":" leverages instant-speed life-gain effects to turn even the smallest commander into a formidable threat.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":{"card-link":"Duelist's Heritage"}},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":" "},{"insert":" provides an extra boost by buffing other commanders at the table, while goad effects ensure that creatures are constantly on the offensive. \n"}]}