Building Perfection (EDH Stax Primer) (Commander / EDH MTG Deck)

Building Perfection (EDH Stax Primer)

Commander / EDH Artifact BG (Golgari) Competitive Control Primer Stax

Perfect_Phyrexia

Ramp (18)

Draw (7)

Tutor (7)

Bodies (4)

Stax (18)

Reanimation (7)

Control (6)

Wincon (4)

Commander (1)

Mana (22)

Protection (6)

Sideboard

Other (10)

The primer is tailored for all 5 colors of Magic, has a massive list of both budget and non-budget cards, and will help you understand the mechanics and options of STAX strategies whether you play EDH, Duel Commander, Modern, Legacy, or even casual Multiplayer. I hope you enjoy!

What is STAX?

STAX is one of the most control oriented strategies in all of Magic and got its name from a powerful vintage deck called "the four thousand dollar solution" or "$T4KS." This deck ran an artifact based prison strategy and was designed to counter other high tier decks in the extremely fast format. The idea of STAX was then applied to other formats and leaked into EDH. EDH STAX strategies quickly became infamous among those who had to fight oppressive Braids, Cabal Minion decks until she was banned. A multitude of sacrifice effects hitting all kinds of permanents would slowly turn the game into a deadly war of attrition which a majority of decks could not win against. A STAX deck's primary philosophy is locking other players out of game with control spells or creating a unbeatable prison that the opponents cannot escape. Ensuring victory after victory, dominating every opponent at the table, or just causing a bit of senseless chaos is possible with a finely tuned STAX deck, but there are multiple paths one can take to achieve these goals.

also has access to specific deck exile spells to counter combo decks like Thoughtpicker Witch, Bitter Ordeal, Sadistic Sacrament, Praetor's Grasp, Cranial Extraction, Memoricide, Slaughter Games, Jester's Cap, and Neverending Torment. These sorts of cards can be absolutely devastating if one is knowledgeable about what decks they are fighting and what cards those decks use to win.

is notorious for spell control cards like Pact of Negation, Spell Burst, Swan Song, Spell Pierce, Disrupt, Abjure, Counterspell, Mana Drain, Declaration of Naught, Familiar's Ruse, Remand, Arcane Denial, Grip of Amnesia, Daze, Hesitation, Hindering Light, Spell Queller, Horribly Awry, Spell Shrivel, Faerie Trickery, Dissipate, Void Shatter, Vendilion Clique, Forbid, Perplex, Voidslime, Ertai, Wizard Adept, Dismiss, Rewind, Foil, Thwart, Cryptic Command, Mindbreak Trap, Glen Elendra Archmage, Mystic Snake, Plasm Capture, Force of Will, Venser, Shaper Savant, Disciple of the Ring, Draining Whelk, Ertai, the Corrupted and Sen Triplets.

Don't fret non- players, you have Counterspells too! Mana Tithe, Rebuff the Wicked, Dawn Charm, Lapse of Certainty, Lifeforce, Deathgrip, Withering Boon, Guttural Response, Red Elemental Blast, Pyroblast, Artifact Blast, Burnout, Warping Wail, and Not of This World are all good options for those that can't fathom playing an island.

Card Denial Commanders

Baral, Chief of Compliance: Counterspell based control with cards like Forbid, Dissipate, and Cryptic Command.
Liliana, Heretical Healer : Discard based control with cards like Mind Twist, Plaguecrafter, and Mind Slash.
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf: Discard based control with cards like Chains of Mephistopheles, Liliana of the Veil, and Sadistic Hypnotist.
Nekusar, the Mindrazer: Wheel based control with cards like Wheel of Fortune, Windfall, and Liliana's Caress.
Sen Triplets: Solitaire based control with cards like Cabal Therapy, Praetor's Grasp, and Mind's Dilation.

Death and Taxes

This smaller section is dedicated to a style of STAX that focuses on making spells more expensive so that opponent's cannot pay their mana cost. Grand Arbiter Augustin IV is a perfect example of what a death and taxes style of STAX aims to achieve. Taxation effects like Mystic Remora, Rhystic Study, Rishadan Cutpurse, Rishadan Footpad, Propaganda, Monastery Siege, War Tax, Energy Flux, Aura Flux, AEther Barrier, In the Eye of Chaos, Embargo, Pendrell Mists, Collective Restraint, Squeeze, Dream Tides, Invoke Prejudice, The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Ghostly Prison, Aura of Silence, Kataki, War's Wage, Leonin Arbiter, Suppression Field, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Glowrider, Vryn Wingmare, Windborn Muse, Archangel of Tithes, Magus of the Tabernacle, Spelltithe Enforcer, Norn's Annex, Sphere of Safety, Chancellor of the Annex, Elephant Grass, Hum of the Radix, Chalice of the Void, Sphere of Resistance, Thorn of Amethyst, Defense Grid, Trinisphere, Lodestone Golem, Feroz's Ban, Koskun Falls, and the ultimate Nether Void bog players down with spells they cannot afford to cast. This becomes a very powerful strategy when combined with a solid win condition such as your Commander, Vampire Hexmage + Dark Depths, Aura Thief + Enchanted Evening, Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Triskelion, Rest in Peace + Helm of Obedience, Dovescape, Blightsteel Colossus or any number of degenerate finishers or un-interactive combos. The taxes only work if there is lots of death, however, since a rise in mana could slowly spell a Death and Taxes player's doom. In order to support these oppressive cards a strong control package from the cards in the permanent based control section is highly recommended. Having a collection of cards which make playing a single spell insanely difficult while also having any number of answers for the cards the opponents finally play is truly oppressive.

Death and Taxes Commanders

Thalia, Guardian of Thraben: Non-Creature taxing based strategy with cards like Thorn of Amethyst, Glowrider, and Vryn Wingmare
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV: Creature taxing based strategy with cards like Mystic Remora, Invoke Prejudice, and Sphere of Safety.

Resource Denial

Do you hate lands? Are you tired of ramping? Do you want to destroy the "everything?" Look no further because cards like Strip Mine, Tectonic Edge, Ghost Quarter, Wasteland, Dust Bowl, Rishadan Port, Tsabo's Web, Mana Web, Winter Orb, Static Orb, Orb of Dreams, Tangle Wire, Arena of the Ancients, Kill Switch, Icy Manipulator, Sands of Time, Damping Engine, Mishra's Helix, Storm Cauldron, Overburden, Stasis, Mana Vortex, Mana Breach, Back to Basics, Rising Waters, Land Equilibrium, Frozen Aether, Acid Rain, Mist of Stagnation, Sunder, Upheaval (Banned in EDH), Sinkhole, Icequake, Choking Sands, Rain of Tears, Rancid Earth, Caustic Rain, Smallpox, Pox, Death Cloud, Desolation, Tainted AEther, Stench of Evil, Helldozer, Herald of Leshrac, Crack the Earth, Tremble, Impending Disaster, Tectonic Break, Tectonic Instability, Price of Glory, Bend or Break, Boil, Boiling Seas, Flashfires, Ruination, Omen of Fire, Epicenter, Burning Sands, Keldon Firebombers, Apocalypse, Territorial Dispute, Wake of Destruction, Jokulhaups, Burning of Xinye, Wildfire, Destructive Force, Devastation, Obliterate, Bearer of the Heavens, Worldfire (Banned in EDH), Decree of Annihilation, Myojin of Infinite Rage, Limited Resources (Banned in EDH), Balance (Banned in EDH), Equipoise, Cleansing, Ravages of War, Armageddon, Cataclysm, Global Ruin, Catastrophe, Authority of the Consuls, Imposing Sovereign, Blind Obedience, Damping Field, Thalia, Heretic Cathar, Loxodon Gatekeeper, Kismet, Hokori, Dust Drinker, Yosei, the Morning Star, Smoke, Uphill Battle, Mudslide, War's Toll, Urabrask the Hidden, Root Maze, Thermokarst, Ice Storm, Kudzu, Hall of Gemstone, Choke, Tsunami, Freyalise's Winds, Nature's Will, Nature's Wrath, Ritual of Subdual, Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, and Razia's Purification are all great ways to limit the amount of resources in the game and make dirty ramp players groan. Land destruction may not be acceptable in all metas and is considered extremely cut-throat but can be required given the power of other decks. When a lot of EDH players splash green into decks only to be able to get degenerate amounts of mana, there has to be some form of punishment. The same logic could go for any infinite mana combo decks and artifact ramp decks, it is important to have answers like Null Rod or Torpor Orb to stop them from going out of control.

Resource Denial Commanders

Jhoira of the Ghitu: Boardwipe based resource denial with cards like Paradox Haze, Obliterate, and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre.
Hokori, Dust Drinker: Lockdown based resource denial with cards like Winter Orb, Tangle Wire, Yosei, the Morning Star.
The Gitrog Monster: Combo based resource denial with cards like Dakmor Salvage, Oblivion Crown, and Sinkhole.

Chaos and Manipulation

Often in the form of weird and unique spells, these STAX cards work differently by manipulating the physical properties of the game. These are extremely powerful effects when properly abused and a deck built to survive the downsides is bound to win. Card's like Pithing Needle, Sorcerous Spyglass, Phyrexian Revoker, Stony Silence, Null Rod, Cursed Totem, Damping Matrix, Linvala, Keeper of Silence, Torpor Orb, Tocatli Honor Guard, Hushwing Gryff, Gaddock Teeg, Ethersworn Canonist, Meddling Mage, Sanctum Prelate, Nevermore, Gideon's Intervention, Narset Transcendent, Voidstone Gargoyle, Ward of Bones, Angelic Arbiter, Nullstone Gargoyle, Void Winnower, Iona, Shield of Emeria, Mana Maze, Arcane Laboratory, Leovold, Emissary of Trest, Paradox Haze, Fatespinner, Eon Hub, Word of Command, Maralen of the Mornsong, Spirit of the Labyrinth, Aven Mindcensor, Eidolon of Rhetoric, Rule of Law, Zur's Weirding, Mindlock Orb, Uba Mask, Omen Machine, Glaciers, Conversion, Magus of the Moon, Blood Moon, Blood Sun, Contamination, Infernal Darkness, Arboria, Island Sanctuary, Peacekeeper, Magus of the Moat, Moat, Teferi's Moat, Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, Breath of Dreams, Mystic Decree, Angel's Grace, Phyrexian Unlife, Worship, Immortal Coil, Nefarious Lich, Lich, Lich's Tomb, Lich's Mirror, Soul Conduit, Mirror Universe, Magus of the Mirror, Axis of Mortality, Sorceress Queen, Vhati il-Dal, Natural Affinity, Living Plane, Nature's Revolt, Rude Awakening, Kamahl, Fist of Krosa, Titania's Song, Kormus Bell, Humility, Overwhelming Splendor, Godhead of Awe, Ixidron, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, and Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur alter properties of the game mechanics to lock players out of the game and completely neuter certain decks.

specifically is very strong at manipulating the battlefield and the ownership of cards, sporting powerful threats like Norin the Wary, Glitterfang, Crown of Flames, Krark's Thumb, Fork, Reverberate, Reiterate, Dualcaster Mage, Shunt, Wild Ricochet, Wheel of Fate, Wheel of Fortune, Magus of the Wheel, Reforge the Soul, Dragon Mage, Chaosphere, Gravity Sphere, Planar Chaos, Fiery Gambit, Puppet's Verdict, Mogg Assassin, Diaochan, Artful Beauty, Crooked Scales, Grand Melee, Stranglehold, Impulsive Maneuvers, Confusion in the Ranks, Possibility Storm, Radiate, Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded, Custody Battle, Grab the Reins, Flameshadow Conjuring, Splinter Twin, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, Zealous Conscripts Mass Mutiny, Tide of War, Grip of Chaos, Whims of the Fates, Risky Move, Mob Rule, Twist Allegiance, Molten Primordial, Thieves' Auction, Scrambleverse, Warp World, Avatar of Slaughter, and Insurrection combined with oppressive scaling finishers like Earthquake, Rolling Earthquake, Fault Line, Comet Storm, Molten Disaster, Goblin Bombardment, Repercussion, Chandra's Spitfire, Chandra, Torch of Defiance, Ruination, Past in Flames, Mizzix's Mastery, Sneak Attack, Outpost Siege, Purphoros, God of the Forge, Pyrohemia, Mana Geyser, Pyromancer's Goggles, Stuffy Doll, Warstorm Surge, and Vicious Shadows.

Chaos and Manipulation Based Commanders

Norin the Wary: Chaos based strategy with cards like Crown of Flames, Thieves' Auction, and Warp World.
Lavinia, Azorius Renegade: Combo denial based strategy with cards like Meddling Mage, Nevermore, and Iona, Shield of Emeria.
Gaddock Teeg: Spell denial based strategy with cards like Titania's Song, Grand Abolisher, and Dragonlord Dromoka.
Lazav, Dimir Mastermind: Clone based strategy with cards like Praetor's Grasp, Mnemonic Betrayal, and Phyrexian Metamorph.
Linvala, Keeper of Silence: No interaction based strategy with cards like Cursed Totem, Stony Silence, and Torpor Orb.

All of these strategies are very powerful when used in a properly built deck and can win games when completely abused. Most of these cards are good on their own but some can devastate people when supported properly. This first section of the primer was about gaining card knowledge and learning about all the tools STAX players have available to them, however, this next section is about the more practical aspects of dealing with STAX such as how to build a functioning deck and how to win against a STAX strategy.

Building a STAX Deck

First off a STAX deck MUST have a low curve. A good prison deck should have a curve around 2.5 and the lower it is the better since a lot of these cards are causing prison effects on everyone's lands (Winter Orb, Static Orb, Tangle Wire). Having a low curve is vital because it allows a STAX deck to play in the playground of pain and taxation without being set back too much by the negative effects. Powerful ramp and land reanimation like Petrified Field, Lodestone Bauble, Groundskeeper, Gaea's Blessing, Life from the Loam, Loaming Shaman, Ramunap Excavator, Splendid Reclamation, and the Crucible of Worlds are great for STAX decks as well. Choosing the right form of ramp for your STAX deck is also important. For example, consider running mostly mana rocks like Sol Ring if your deck plans on using a Cursed Totem while mana-dorks like Birds of Paradise would be superior if you prefer things like Null Rod. Draw engines that can survive a STAX decks oppressive effects such as Vampiric Rites, Dark Tutelage, Dark Prophecy, Phyrexian Arena, or Necropotence are essential for maintaining tempo. The worst thing that can happen to STAX deck is for it to fizzle out midway through the match.

Since the curve of the deck should be low, most of the creatures in the deck shouldn't be very strong body wise. A STAX decks creature base should be filled with creatures that accelerate, defend, or are "Hate Bears" which help with your strategy. Equipment cards like Masterwork of Ingenuity, Blade of the Bloodchief, Bloodforged Battle-Axe, Blade of Selves, Sword of the Animist, Nim Deathmantle, Umezawa's Jitte, Sword of Fire and Ice, Sword of Light and Shadow, Sword of Feast and Famine, Sword of War and Peace, Loxodon Warhammer, Behemoth Sledge, Fireshrieker, Bludgeon Brawl, Grip of Phyresis, Sunforger, Grafted Wargear, Grafted Exoskeleton, Deathrender, Hammer of Nazahn, Assault Suit, and Batterskull are great in STAX decks since they allow the weak "Hate Bears" (Grand Abolisher for example) and Reassembling Skeleton variants to actually have a chance at trading with something bulky. Having a reliable finisher whether it be a plethora of ridiculous equipment or a powerful combo is important to eventually close out the game and end the opponent's suffering. Forcing scoops is another way to win if your deck is built to completely lock other players out of the game but this strategy "should" only be employed by chaos decks where their only other win condition is a unreliable slap from Norin the Wary.

Once a strategy has been chosen, utility cards must be added so that the STAX deck can recuperate faster than the opponents. This is done by fielding strong reanimation like Mimic Vat, Yawgmoth's Will, Magus of the Will, Hell's Caretaker, Whisper, Blood Litergist, and Living Death to name a few or degenerate self-reanimating creatures like Gravecrawler, Dread Wanderer, Tenacious Dead, Reassembling Skeleton, Bloodghast, Nether Traitor, Nether Shadow, Nether Spirit, Brood of Cockroaches, Endless Cockroaches, Mortus Strider, Squee, Goblin Nabob, Squee, the Immortal, Vengevine, Phytotitan and Advanced Stitchwing. Another strategy is to abuse creature tokens (think of Bitterblossom, Zombie Infestation, Nest of Scarabs, Sengir Autocrat, Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder, Grave Titan, Army of the Damned, Secure the Wastes, Martial Coup, White Sun's Zenith, Elspeth, Knight-Errant, Anointed Procession, Spirit Bonds, Luminarch Ascension, Dragonmaster Outcast, Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast, Goblin Assault, Krenko, Mob Boss, Siege-Gang Commander, Awakening Zone, From Beyond, Creakwood Liege, Nath of the Gilt-Leaf, Mycoloth, and Avenger of Zendikar) or base the deck around non-creature spells like enchantments (Hanna, Ship's Navigator), artifacts (Daretti, Scrap Savant), and even planes-walkers (Atraxa, Praetors' Voice).

When building a STAX deck it is important to commit to a specific strategy and to choose colors that support that strategy. Each color in Magic the Gathering has its own strengths and weaknesses which are important to keep in mind when building a deck.

: Sacrifice and Destruction Effects, Hand and Board Disruption, Discard, Creature Reanimation, Life for Cards, but cannot deal with Artifacts and Enchantments.

: Exile and Destruction Effects, Mass Land Destruction, Taxation, Defensive Life Gain, Permanent Reanimation, but does not draw large amounts of cards and has a hard time mounting comebacks.

: Massive Mana Ramp, Amazing Creatures, Strong Non-Creature Permanent Removal, Card Advantage Engines, but lacks creature removal and struggles against continuous board wipes.

: Massive Card Draw, Counter-Magic, Taxation, Mind Control, Artifact Support, but lacks good blockers and hard forms of removal.

: Combat Mastery, Chaos Effects, Mass Land Destruction, Mind Control, Artifact Support, Hardcore Burn, but lacks card draw and cannot deal with Enchantments.

Beating a STAX Deck

My first and foremost suggestion for dealing with STAX decks is asking for help from your friends. Most likely everyone at the table is upset at some Smokestack ruining all their plans so playing politically and getting assistance for the threat at hand is always a strong strategy. A STAX decks true test, in my mind, is whether or not it can survive a nerd rage induced dog-pile. This strategy is very good if you and 2 of your friends are playing fun 75% decks but your other friend Billy, who is tired of losing to disrespectful Stuffy Doll + Guilty Conscience shenanigans, brings an extremely cutthroat 100% Derevi, Empyrial Tactician prison deck that's bound to make everyone salty.

Don't let Billy ruin the game, destroy Billy first.

As oppressive as the cards in the STAX lists above seem, cards also exist that directly counter these strategies. The irony of building a deck dedicated to fighting STAX is that it will most likely become a STAX deck as well. Instead of running traditional STAX cards like Grave Pact to hose "normal" threats, these decks run cards like the Tormod's Crypt, Relic of Progenitus, Sentinel Totem, Grafdigger's Cage, Planar Void, Yixlid Jailer, Ashes of the Abhorrent, Ground Seal, Deathrite Shaman, Necrogenesis, Night Soil, Scavenging Ooze, Nezumi Graverobber, Withered Wretch, Rest in Peace, Anafenza, the Foremost, Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet, Leyline of the Void, Equinox, Planar Birth, Sacred Ground, Terra Eternal, Teferi's Protection, Second Sunrise, Faith's Reward, Noxious Revival, Regrowth, Recollect, Eternal Witness, Genesis, Creeping Renaissance, Seasons Past, Tajuru Preserver, Sigarda, Host of Herons, Vitalize, Benefactor's Draught, Quest for Renewal, Early Harvest, Awakening, Bear Umbra, Seedborn Muse, Prophet of Kruphix (Banned in EDH), Paradox Engine, Aegis of the Gods, True Believer, Leyline of Sanctity, Ivory Mask, Imperial Mask, Spirit of the Hearth, Veilstone Amulet, Witchbane Orb, Orbs of Warding, Privileged Position, Asceticism, Gaddock Teeg, Sterling Grove, Greater Auramancy, Leonin Abunas, Containment Priest, Grand Abolisher, Dosan the Falling Leaf, City of Solitude, Dragonlord Dromoka, Melira, Sylvok Outcast, Solemnity, Nephalia Academy, Library of Leng, Cavern of Souls, Boseiju, Who Shelters All, Overmaster, Insist, Autumn's Veil, Gaea's Herald, Vexing Shusher, Leyline of Lifeforce, Spellbreaker Behemoth, Surrak Dragonclaw, and Sphinx of the Final Word to hard counter any STAX strategy that is plaguing your meta.

In my mind, a STAX deck is attempting to build a hyper efficient disruption engine but having all that work erased by a pesky artifact and enchantment wipes is a humongous setback. Cards like Nova Cleric, Simplify, Tribute to the Wild, Serenity, Back to Nature, Tranquil Grove, Tranquility, Essence Filter, Cleansing Meditation, Cleanfall, Tempest of Light, Purify, Aura Shards, Seeds of Innocence, Creeping Corrosion, Calming Verse, Fracturing Gust, and the Bane of Progress are all very powerful tools against oppressive STAX strategies that rely too much on non-creature permanents.

The Deck Tech

Glissa, the Traitor is back and ready to kick ass after being tortured by Wet Willie of the Damned. If you like controlling multiple opponents, playing with powerful trinkets, and becoming the perfect Phyrexian then this deck is for you!

This Glissa, the Traitor deck has a game-plan centered around reanimating powerful, cheap, and re-usable artifacts (Think of cards like Lotus Petal) as well as abusing oppressive forms of board control (Smokestack). She was chosen as my commander to enable the over-arching artifact theme of the deck, add some much needed Phyrexian flavor, and provide a powerful early game threat that can trade up into many different EDH level creatures. It is important to note that her ability to reanimate artifacts scales with the amount of player which can do degenerate things when combined with board wipes like Innocent Blood or Damnation and even things like Krark-Clan Ironworks. She should be truly feared when armed to the teeth with classic equipment and empowered by evil tools such as a Nether Void or the Mindslaver! This decks main purpose is show players who may be new to the concept what a standard high level stax deck looks like and what kinds of cards one might find inside. I would suggest trying it out online due to semi-necessary but extremely rare and old cards such as Guardian Beast.

Early Game

The opening hand of this deck should field a powerful form of draw, a bit of ramp, and some disruption. It is good to either draw into or already have a good way to set other players back in the game (Innocent Blood, Winter Orb, Static Orb, Tangle Wire, Grave Pact, etc.). Also having access to a steady source of bodies at this stage is extremely powerful. Landing something like Reassembling Skeleton, Bitterblossom, or Awakening Zone at this point can be game changing, especially with mid game powerhouses like Contamination, Oblivion Stone, and Smokestack in the deck

I need to start disrupting my opponents, blowing up permanents, and controlling the board in the beginning. Glissa, the Traitor should come out either now or in the mid game to start the reanimation engine and set up for the primary finishers in the deck. It is important to start ramping early game in order to keep up with the opponents and mitigate my own taxing effects. All of my acceleration spells are between 0 and 3 mana for this reason.

Mid Game

Everyone should be mad at this point so this is when defense is paramount. I talked earlier about a good stax deck having to survive a dogpile and this deck is no exception. With enough mana to hopefully start casting 3-5 cmc spells I can start building a prison with my stax cards and answer the threats that my opponents vomit out onto the table to stop me. Tutors are best used at this stage of the game since I would much rather have access to versatility when multiple types of threats start appearing. Depending on the situations and match-ups I'm facing, I will need specific types of answers. Oblivion Stone and Damnation are complete bosses in the midgame but sometimes I may need a Sylvok Replica or Smockstack instead. Insane cards like Trinisphere, Phyrexian Obliterator, and Nether Void can also be used to eventually "seal the deal."

Grave Pact and Smokestack should be scaling in power at this point and the opponents should be feeling the pressure of their strong sacrifice effects. Reassembling Skeleton, Bitterblossom, and Awakening Zone really shine here since they provide plenty of sacrificial bodies and can combo with Skullclamp. When Glissa, the Traitor is out it gets even better because I can start making really degenerate plays reanimating cards like Lotus Petal, Mox Opal, Oblivion Stone, Metalworker, Krark-Clan Ironworks, or Wurmcoil Engine. If powerful draw spells like Sword of Fire and Ice or Necropotence found their way into the mix then things should get completely out of hand as I accelerate past my opponents.

Late Game

I need to start putting everyone out of their moan and groan misery. I can do this any number of ways including slapping people with Sword of Fire and Ice and Sword of Feast and Famine, casting a fat Exsanguinate, pressuring the opponents with strong creatures like Phyrexian Obliterator and Wurmcoil Engine, or landing some of these sick combinations:

Cabal Coffers + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth: Mana.
Winter Orb + Tangle Wire + Sword of Feast and Famine: Land Lockdown Abuse.
Winter Orb + Tangle Wire + Seedborn Muse: Land Lockdown Abuse.
Static Orb + Tangle Wire + Seedborn Muse: Permanent Lockdown Abuse.
Buried Ruin + Crucible of Worlds + Mindslaver: Infinite Player Control,
Forbidden Orchard + Glissa, the Traitor + Mindslaver: Infinite Player Control.
Leyline of the Void + Helm of Obedience: Infinite Exile Mill

Sideboard

If the group I'm playing with allows it, I have a powerful sideboard I can field to completely shut down any number strategies. Below I'll go into detail as to what the sideboard cards do and why I picked them.

Tormod's Crypt: The classic graveyard hate spell. Stops dumb combos relying on the graveyard. instantly.
Library of Leng: I've seen what Nath of the Gilt-Leaf or Nekusar, the Mindrazer decks can do and its good to have some way to stop them in order to not get torn apart.
Null Rod: Stops all artifacts that use activated abilities. This card is insane, it hoses mana rocks, stops Equipment, and shuts down decks relying on Phyrexian Altar, Ashnod's Altar, or Blasting Station.
Deathgrip: This completely stops mono decks in their tracks. What's even better is how good this card is based on how many people splash in EDH for its ramping capabilities. Strong color combos like Bant and Sultai get completely shut down after their commanders are Counterspelled over and over again.
Lifeforce: Good against everything and since I'm a stubborn believer that is the best multiplayer color in the game it's nice to have around. Another way to punish Esper and Sultai splashes.
Sadistic Sacrament: Pay 3 mana to stop a cheesy combo player or pay 10 mana to have someone concede. Seems pretty strong to me.
Praetor's Grasp: This can absolutely ruin someone from combo players to people who like Protean Hulk or even Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre.
Tainted Remedy: Soul crushing for anyone who likes to gain life. Great against decks who use incremental life gain like Oloro, Ageless Ascetic and back-breaking for people relying on big life swings like Exsanguinate or Congregate.
Mind Slash: Absolutely Oppressive with all the tokens and Bloodghasts lying around.
Mind Twist: Time to play Solitaire.

Matchups

Like most STAX Decks, mine runs Winter Orb, Static Orb, Tangle Wire, and Smokestack which help oppress most EDH strategies, especially creature based ones. However at high level of play more degenerate decks need to be answered, and the strength of STAX decks is their unique counters to Combo, Control, and Aggro. In this section I will list high level strategies and which cards in the deck help against that specific matchup. If all else fails I can always resort to spamming Oblivion Stone!

Combo

Mono High Tide

Boseiju, Who Shelters All, Defense Grid, Torpor Orb, Null Rod, Trinisphere, Sadistic Sacrament, Contamination, Nether Void.

Karmic Guide + Reveillark Reanimator

Bojuka Bog, Tormod's Crypt, Torpor Orb, Cursed Totem, Null Rod, Contamination, Leyline of the Void, Tainted AEther

Animar, Soul of Elements / Cloudstone Curio Combo

Boseiju, Who Shelters All, Defense Grid, Torpor Orb, Cursed Totem, Trinisphere, Sadistic Sacrament, Deathgrip, Contamination, Tainted AEther, Nether Void.

Prossh, Skyraider of Kher / Food Chain Combo

Bojuka Bog, Tormod's Crypt, Torpor Orb, Cursed Totem, Trinisphere, Lifeforce, Deathgrip, Sadistic Sacrament, Leyline of the Void, Nether Void.

Control

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic Prison Based Control

Boseiju, Who Shelters All, Cavern of Souls, Bojuka Bog, Tormod's Crypt, Defense Grid, Winter Orb, Oblivion Stone, Smokestack, Lifeforce, Tainted Remedy, Contamination, Leyline of the Void.

Narset, Enlightened Master Spell Based Control

Boseiju, Who Shelters All, Cavern of Souls, Defense Grid, Lightning Greaves, Darksteel Plate, Trinisphere, Crucible of Worlds, Sword of Fire and Ice, Contamination, Nether Void.

The Gitrog Monster Land Based Control

Bojuka Bog, Tormod's Crypt, Phyrexian Revoker, Cursed Totem, Crucible of Worlds, Mimic Vat, Sword of Feast and Famine, Lifeforce, Deathgrip, Leyline of the Void.

Atraxa, Praetors' Voice Superfriends

Boseiju, Who Shelters All, Cavern of Souls, Defense Grid, Vampire Hexmage, Oblivion Stone, Smokestack, Trinisphere, Lifeforce, Deathgrip, Contamination, Nether Void

Aggro

Eight-and-a-Half-Tails Voltron

Torpor Orb, Phyrexian Revoker, Cursed Totem, Null Rod, Crucible of Worlds, Oblivion Stone, Smokestack, Contamination, Toxic Deluge, Grave Pact.

Yisan, the Wanderer Bard Stompys

Deathgrip, Phyrexian Revoker, Cursed Totem, Torpor Orb, Winter Orb, Static Orb, Tangle Wire, Oblivion Stone, Contamination, Damnation, Phyrexian Obliterator.

Derevi, Empyrial Tactician / Edric, Spymaster of Trest Tempo

Deathgrip, Torpor Orb, Cursed Totem, Trinisphere, Oblivion Stone, Toxic Deluge, Damnation, Contamination, Nether Void, Seedborn Muse.

Kaalia of the Vast Battlecruiser

Maze of Ith, Bojuka Bog, Tormod's Crypt, Null Rod, Torpor Orb, Crucible of Worlds, Oblivion Stone, Mimic Vat, Leyline of the Void, Grave Pact.

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Updates Add

Commander Sections are all completed — Jan. 31, 2019

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I've added a small list of potential commanders for each section that should be able to compete with the best.

Ixalan Update — Oct. 11, 2017

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The Primer is Finished ... Again — Oct. 14, 2016

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The Death of Salvation and The Broken Key — May 1, 2016

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The Primer is Finished — April 12, 2016

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Primer Rework — March 22, 2016

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Massive Overwork and CMC Reduction — March 4, 2016

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Spoiler Timeline

Card Odds v1 Draw hand

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Revision 71 See all

(3 years ago)

Top Ranked	Achieved #9 position overall 8 years ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Primer 4 years ago
Date added	8 years
Last updated	3 years
Splash colors	G
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	8 - 0 Mythic Rares 60 - 5 Rares 15 - 4 Uncommons 9 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.54
Tokens	Copy Clone, Eldrazi Spawn 0/1 C, Faerie Rogue 1/1 B, Spirit 1/1 C, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Deathtouch, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Lifelink
Folders	Fav, commander , EDH, Primer, Fun EDH, Other folks' decks, EDH Ideas, commander, Bookmarked, EDH
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