Talrand; Cantrippin' Ain't Easy

Commander / EDH

Torm

Instant (17)

• 1x Arcane Denial
• 1x Blue Sun's Zenith
• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Cryptic Command
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Desertion
• 1x Dream Fracture
• 1x Faerie Trickery
• 1x Frantic Search
• 1x Ghostly Flicker
• 1x Mindbreak Trap
• 1x Perilous Research
• 1x Sage's Dousing
• 1x Spell Crumple
• 1x Think Twice
• 1x Thought Scour
• 1x Whispers of the Muse

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Acquire
• 1x Blatant Thievery
• 1x Fabricate
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Rite of Replication
• 1x Serum Visions

Enchantment (6)

• 1x Archmage Ascension
• 1x Followed Footsteps
• 1x Mind Over Matter
• 1x Opposition
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Thought Reflection

Artifact (14)

• 1x Caged Sun
• 1x Darksteel Ingot
• 1x Extraplanar Lens
• 1x Gauntlet of Power
• 1x Isochron Scepter
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Mindslaver
• 1x Oblivion Stone
• 1x Pithing Needle
• 1x Planar Portal
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Vedalken Shackles
• 1x Venser's Journal

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Tezzeret the Seeker

Creature (17)

• 1x Arcanis the Omnipotent
• 1x Archaeomancer
• 1x Consecrated Sphinx
• 1x Deadeye Navigator
• 1x Diluvian Primordial
• 1x Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
• 1x Mnemonic Wall
• 1x Palinchron
• 1x Phantasmal Image
• 1x Phyrexian Metamorph
• 1x Psychosis Crawler
• 1x Sea Gate Oracle
• 1x Sigil Tracer
• 1x Snapcaster Mage
• 1x Thada Adel, Acquisitor
• 1x Treasure Mage
• 1x Vesuvan Doppelganger

Land (36)

• 1x Academy Ruins
• 1x Faerie Conclave
• 30x Island
• 1x Magosi, the Waterveil
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Riptide Laboratory
• 1x Seat of the Synod

Unknown (1)

• 1x Ancestral Visions

Commander (1)

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The first "package" of cards I like to look at for Talrand is the "Card Draw" package.

Firstly, it's filled with a load of cantrips: obviously, these generate drakes and set up your hand to win or defend yourself. Next, we have some bigger draw spells to round off the package: Consecrated Sphinx, USZ, Ascension, and Arcanis.

Next, we have the artifact package: This is important for any EDH deck, and especially so (imo) for mono color decks: I run the full suite of 'mana-doublers': Caged Sun, Gauntlet of Power, and Extraplanar Lens. As well as a some mana rocks: Sol Ring, Vault, Darksteel Ingot. (I do need some more mana rocks, particularly Thran Dynamo and Grim Monolith). Next we have plenty of utility in: Mindslaver, Pithing Needle, SDT, O-Stone, Shackles, and Journal. To round it out we have some win cons and tutors: Psychosis Crawler, Fabricate, Acquire, Tezz, and Planar Portal.

Lastly, but certainly not least-ly we have the "value" section. I put a blink package into this deck, because ETB effects are powerful, and numerous. This entire package is built around that concept. Palinchron + a Mana Doubler gives us infinite mana, and he will do the same when paired with a Deadeye Navigator. Archaemancer can rebuild a nuked board state and Snapcaster can give you a ton of value. This package also pairs well with our Treasure Mage. And of course, it wouldn't be a blue EDH deck without Jin-Gitaxias. We also run a gamut of nasty combo-enablers. It's incredibly easy to go infinite in blue. You just need to play good cards. You don't even really need to try. Opposition is the end all be all of protection for you. It's also a highly political card. It will gain you valuable allies. And can be used to surprise knockout an opponent if you so wish. It also helps us prevent others from capitalizing on our Gauntlet and Lens.

Normally this deck seeks to get big mana and Blue Sun's Zenith people to death either with a Psychosis Crawler or with a Planar Portal / Mind Over Matter combo. Arcanis + Mind Over Matter also equals a win. Also, when mana gets big enough, a Mindslaver lock can give you a chance to safely use someone to knock out the rest of the table, safely.

This deck isn't perfect. But, i believe perfecting it would only keep my friends from ever wanting to play Magic with me.

It also hasn't been updated for Theros (or RtR, for that matter)

Any feedback or questions will be appreciated and if you're lucky i may respond. ;)

Date added	10 years
Last updated	10 years
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	8 - 0 Mythic Rares 37 - 0 Rares 10 - 0 Uncommons 14 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.67
Tokens	Copy Clone, Drake 2/2 U