I pulled her during prerelease and I'm really hyped for her.
This is my take for an EDH deck with her as commander.
The deck will be really casual.
I try to cheat the legend rule so I can make multiple copies of Etrata, so we can, hopefully unexpectedly, assassinate our opponents.
I tried to keep the average CMC low to play up-tempo and to allow you to do a lot with your mana late game.
So, what's in the deck?
Important cards:
Vanishing
It's one of the most important cards in the deck. Etrata's ability allows you to cast spells or activate abilities in response to her 'shuffle in owner's library'. By just phasing her out, she won't be shuffled into the library, she is untargetable for any spells and she will phase in unaffected, so everything that's enchanted or equipped or anything else, is still there.
Helm of the Host
Making copies without worrying about the legend rule is easy peasy. While the copies are on the battlefield, why not clone them? Using
Rite of Replication
kicker ability to create 5 tokens of the token, means you have 7 Etrata's for your opponents to worry about!
Isochron Scepter
Exile a 1 cmc or 2 cmc instant or sorcery to get maximum value out of it. These cards are the cards to target:
Essence Flux
,
Call to Heel
,
Counterspell
,
Siren's Ruse
. This will allow you to repeatedly flicker Etrata or bounce her and draw a card from her. If she doesn't need to get bounced, exiling a counterspell is always nice to have up your sleeve.
Mirror Gallery
Why have all the trouble copying tokens of Etrata, when there is no legend rule to worry about? The other clones can help you fix your wincon.
Elbrus, the Binding Blade
This is a bomb of a wincon. Attach it to Etrata, have a guarenteed hit. When the third hit counter lands, BOOM, you get a 26/26 flying, trample, intimidate bomb to help you eliminate your opponents.
Blade of Selves
Attach it to a "legendaryless" token or on Etrate herself when
Mirror Gallery
is on the battlefield to maximize fun for all your opponents!
Clones
The clones are here to either copy some good creatures your opponents have or copy the lovely Etrata when able to. Blocking the creatures of your opponents with the same or attacking them with theirs, will have them think twice.
Clever Impersonator
enters as a copy of any nonland permanent on the battlefield #value
Cryptoplasm
copies any creature and you can change it each upkeep!
Evil Twin
what's better than copying the best creature of your opponents? That's right, copying and destroying them.
Gigantoplasm
helps you make the copy even stronger.
Shapesharer
copies at instant speed a threat or bomb of yours.
Mirage Mirror
does the same as
Shapesharer
but also copies artifacts and enchantments.
Vizier of Many Faces
can make a copy for a second time when embalmed. I have this card on surplus, so why waste money on other cards that do the same?
Quasiduplicate
for the same reasons.
Rite of Replication
: What's better than getting one copy? FIVE copies obviously!
Flicker
As stated before, flicker is a powerful mechanic for Etrata. It's here only to flicker Etrata (or her copies) so she doesn't get shuffled into the library. That's why these cards did make the cut:
Essence Flux
as stated before
Ghostly Flicker
(what's in the name)
Siren's Ruse
good to exile with isochron sceptre
Deadeye Navigator
a staple
Nephalia Smuggler
has a high activation cost but gets the job done.
Counter/control
Playing a very fragile deck needs some control to help you survive. That's why these counterspells are in it.
Counterspell
a staple.
Countersquall
cheap and let's your opponent lose some life in the process.
Disallow
a better and more expensive counterspell.
Muddle the Mixture
counter + transmute is a good combination!
Spell Crumple
, so no graveyard recursion!
Undermine
counter + lifeloss.
Vedalken Orrery
and
Leyline of Anticipation
are put in the deck, so you can keep your mana open to play any counterspells on the other turns and to surprise your opponents just before your turn.
Bounce
Having the same purpose as Flicker, but also helping you out controlling your opponents boardstate. We are playing UB (Dimir) so control is mandatory!
Call to Heel
is very helpful when target on your own creature so you can draw a card from it. Exile it with
Isochron Scepter
and you can bounce and draw a card each turn for only 2 mana.
Chain vapor nice and cheap to bounce a nonland permanent. Cast it early in the game when disrupting your opponents gameplan, so your opponents won't copy it.
Clutch of the Undercity
is rather expensive but worth it for its transmute (see below).
Rescue
for obvious reasons.
Unexplained Disappearance
: bounce + surveil 1? I'll take it!
Unsummon
and
Vapor Snag
: one better to target your opponent's creatures and the other to target your own.
Transmute/tutor
There are a lot of cards that are very important to have during the game. Transmute allows you either to tutor for 3 mana or use the effect on the card. Talking about value!
Because of the low manacurve there are a lot of usefull cards to fetch.
Dizzy Spell
is here for the sole purpose to fetch
Vanishing
or
Essence Flux
because these are very powerful cards for Etrata. The -3/-0 is not that good, but maybe there is a situation where you can use it to safe your skin.
Dizzy Spell
fetches also the other 1 cmc bouncer's.
Muddle the Mixture
a counterspell or a tutor for
Isochron Scepter
,
Blade of Selves
or
Siren's Ruse
. Nice
Dimir Infiltrator
is an
Elbrus, the Binding Blade
enabler and a tutor.
Final Parting
is here for the hard and cheap (moneywise) tutoring and makes a pool for archeaomancer.
Archmage Ascension
is maybe a long shot, but I think there are enough ways to get the essential quest counters on it. When it's live, you just outvalue your opponents.
Cantrips
Cantrips are here for card advantage and helping you fix your important cards.
unexplainable disappearance,
Brainstorm
,
Ponder
,
Serum Visions
Even
Halimar Depths
and
Temple of Deceit
help you out.
(hard) Card draw
Card advantage is very important, so keep your hand full!
Dire Undercurrents
has some nice synergy with the flicker/bounce effects and with
Murmuring Mystic
and
Talrand, Sky Summoner
to help you with an easy and steady flow of card draw.
Consecrated Sphinx
is an all time favourite. It does attract a lot of hate, but that keeps Etrata out of line of sight. And it is a good enabler for
Archmage Ascension
.
Arch of Orazca
when you have enough mana and not enough cards.
Pillow fort
Building your execution plan may take some time, so better have some defences!
Murmuring Mystic
and
Talrand, Sky Summoner
are put in the deck because we run a lot of instants and sorceries.
Propaganda
will discourage your opponents to attack you.
Boardwipes
every EDH commander deck needs some boardwipes to help you survive and dismantle your opponents.
Cyclonic Rift
one of the best.
Evacuation
instant speed
Devastation Tide
sorcery speed or instant speed for its miracle cost!
Commander protection
Lightning Greaves
and
Swiftfoot Boots
are mandetory for every heavily-reliant-on-commander EDH decks.
Wombo combo shenanigans
Here comes the fun part.
Paradox Engine
is a very good infinite combo enabler.
Imagine having
Essence Flux
exiled with
Isochron Scepter
. Having a few manarocks (
Sol Ring
,
Dimir Signet
,
Gilded Lotus
,...) combined with
Talrand, Sky Summoner
and
Dire Undercurrents
. Infinite may card draw, and infinite tokens!
Add
Archaeomancer
to the mix and you can replay all your instant and sorceries!
Manafix
I run the usual manarocks
Sol Ring
,
Dimir Signet
,
Gilded Lotus
,
Hedron Archive
,
Thran Dynamo
and
Worn Powerstone
.
Summary
This is my casual build with Etrata as commander. Having a low CMC helps out to play up tempo. Controlling your opponents boardstate is key and making Etrata count using clones to assassinate your opponents.
If there are any suggestions or remarks, please feel free to leave a comment.
This is not a perfect build and so it can be optimized. Maybe there are some good cards I overlooked.
If there are any remarks on my grammar or spelling, feel free to point it out!
Flip
