Switch to artifact/enchantment tool box
Squee_Spirit_Guide, 10 hours ago
I gave this deck a pretty major overhaul. The previous version got a little stale, so I updated it to add more (still convoluted) win conditions and focus more on gaining life through Ivory Tower to stay alive and fuel the win conditions. I also removed the creatures and counter magic that were my main defenses, because the life gain is (usually) all I need to survive long enough to get set up. I also changed my plan with the lands from playing them and sacrificing them to Zuran Orb, to keeping them in hand for Ivory Tower. I've found the deck to be a little more resilient in this setup and, despite the win conditions being even wilder, they're much more consistent.
November 2025 Update
EscapingBurger, 1 day ago
In: Tibalt's Trickery, Unstoppable Slasher
Out: Unlicensed Disintegration, Ambition's Cost
Tibalt's Trickery seems appropriately chaotic, and an actual counterspell of sorts might be useful in here. Unstoppable Slasher remains a dream that will probably never work out like I want it to, but I still want to see if I can find a home for it.
Cut and added cards.
GAMEBOY1234, 1 day ago
I cut:Castle Embereth, Duelist's Heritage, Fireshrieker, Llanowar Tribe, Rancor, Ripjaw Raptor, Temur Battle Rage, Urabrask the Hidden, Vanquisher's Banner,
I added:
Escape to the Wilds, Hulking Raptor, Majestic Genesis, Mossfire Valley, Regal Behemoth, Rockfall Vale, Secret Rendezvous, Sungrass Prairie, Sunscorched Divide, I put some cards on the side board that I like, but might be better if I had more basic lands
November 2025 Update
EscapingBurger, 2 days ago
In: Umezawa's Jitte
Out: Spectral Grasp
I picked up a Jitte that I thought would be useful here. Once Balan gets double strike, it can pick up four counters per turn, potentially getting some serious commander damage through, killing some stuff, or even gaining life in an emergency.
November 2025 Update #2
EscapingBurger, 2 days ago
Out: Victimize
One more card to try from the recent Avatar release. There are a number of good attack triggers to try to copy here, including both sides of Mishra. I'll have to see if I can get this to work consistently enough, though.
November 2025 Update #2
EscapingBurger, 2 days ago
In: Temporal Manipulation, Bender's Waterskin, Reliquary Tower
Out: Tempest Angler, Everflowing Chalice, Wind-Scarred Crag
A few more tweaks! I'm not 100% on Temporal Manipulation, but with general spell synergy, a few ways to copy things, and casting other stuff at a discount, it seems like it's worth a try. For Bender's Waterskin, there are enough instants in here that mana that's always available on each opponent's turn seems useful.
None
GAMEBOY1234, 3 days ago
I added custom sorting to better describe what I am going to do/play
November 2025 Update
EscapingBurger, 3 days ago
In: Spawning Pit *list*, Scute Swarm, Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest, Khalni Garden, Foggy Bottom Swamp
Out: Cache Grab. Prosperous Innkeeper. Moonstone Eulogist, Swamp, Forest
I've been going through some cards I acquired over the last six months or so to slot into my decks, and these seemed like a good set for Hazel here. Spawning Pit is a source of unbounded free sacrifices, which could potentially finish a game with enough tokens and something like Zulaport Cutthroat, and it's a way to recover from a board wipe. Mazirek plays off the sacrifice theme as well, though I'll have to see if I can do that consistently enough to make it worthwhile. The deck doesn't really fully exploit Scute Swarm's landfall, but I'm still hoping to make enough copies to be annoying. It might be worth switching some ramp to Wayfarer's Bauble and the like (and it's a sacrifice too!).
November 2025 Update
EscapingBurger, 4 days ago
In: Haliya, Guided by Light, Beseech the Queen, Silence, Marchesa's Decree, Thespian's Stage
Out: Celestial Force, Concentrate, Kaya, Intangible Slayer, Crypt Ghast
, Temple of Deceit
Haliya's first ability isn't going to go nuts here, but with Oloro gaining 2 life each turn anyway, it seems like she'll make it pretty easy to draw a free card each turn. Silence is intended to protect a game-winning combo or at least something big. It looks like a counterspell magnet, but then that's a counterspell that's not being used against whatever I really wanted to cast. I'll have to see how well it works in practice. Marchesa's Decree is another piece of defense against creature swarms--maybe not as solid as Propaganda, but hopefully enough to give people some pause. I do worry that it'll backfire if someone sends in enough creatures to get the monarch and then keeps it, but I think it's worth a try. And Thespian's Stage is mostly there to copy Glacial Chasm if the cumulative upkeep gets too high or it otherwise faces removal. Is that practical? I don't know! Maybe I should get a Dark Depths in here too to help justify it.
For the removals, partly this is just dropping the mana curve a bit. The deck is pretty good at stalling long enough to build up a big mana base, but it's still rather top-heavy. I'm also souring a bit on single-shot card draw like Concentrate, especially with Oloro drawing cards on his own. And Crypt Ghast is cool, but it's mostly a holdover from an early version of this deck, as there are only like three swamps in here anyway. I think I need to set that aside until I make a mono-black deck someday.
None
IQuarent, 4 days ago
IN: Tilling Treefolk, Renewal
OUT: Adventuring Gear, Explorer's Scope
I'm really not impressed with either of these artifacts, I tried Explorer's Scope at the recommendation of someone, and the problem with it is that if the deck is working properly, it should be majorly thinned out of lands, so the Scope usually misses and even when it does hit it doesn't feel particularly worth.
Adventuring Gear is what we in deck building call an "enhancer". I makes your commander hit x1.5 harder for each land drop. That being said, I don't feel like it's what the deck needs. Both of the additions help with card advantage which feels much more necessary, being pauper green.
Real deck does not match online
IQuarent, 4 days ago
I made some orders to fulfill some of the missing lands, but currently the real deck has Tilling Treefolk and Renewal instead of Three Visits and Nature's Lore. Working on this.
Mana boost
Randobot, 4 days ago
-1 Bonder's Ornament +1 Leaden Myr -1 grave purge +1 Gold Myr -1 Swamp +1 Terramorphic Expanse -1 Mortuary Mire +1 Radiant Fountain
Swaps
Randobot, 4 days ago
-1 Stone Haven Medic +1 Children of Korlis -1 Tithe Drinker +1 Kingpin's Pet -1 Drudge Skeletons +1 Basilica Screecher
it works with fetches AND lotus field!
Idoneity, 4 days ago
Alrighty! It's a cool synergy, so I'm putting it in despite Universes Beyond. I have removed Coldsteel Heart for Dai Li Indoctrination.
None
SilvValens, 4 days ago
Swapped out 1x Blaster, Combat DJ Flip, 1x Flamewar, Brash Veteran Flip, 1x Jetfire, Ingenious Scientist Flip and 1x Meria, Scholar of Antiquity for 1x Bugenhagen, Wise Elder, 1x Jegantha, the Wellspring,1x Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain and 1x Lady Octopus, Inspired Inventor
It's symbolic, guys
Idoneity, 4 days ago
The Kodama are decidedly less gay than metaphors. I have removed Their Reach for Shared Roots.
November 2025 Update
EscapingBurger, 5 days ago
In: Sword of Truth and Justice, Heroic Intervention, Terrasymbiosis, Abandoned Air Temple
Out: Phytohydra, Harmonize, Colossal Majesty, Bretagard Stronghold
It's always hard to update this deck since there are just so many counter-focused cards that make sense here, but I acquired a few powerful pieces recently that I wanted to fit in. Board wipes remain a big weakness of this deck, so Heroic Intervention is another bit of defense for that. Terrasymbiosis over Colossal Majesty is a kind of a gamble. I think either of them will probably draw one card per turn most of the time, but the hope is that the Terrasymbiosis will occasionally produce a big draw if I cast a hydra or do most anything with a Forgotten Ancient, say.
Also, I hate to lose Phytohydra, as it's a card that I want so badly to make work, but it never does. It's better than Fungusaur, a card that also dreamed big back in the day, but in Commander at least it's unfortunately not better enough.
