Cunning Rhetoric

Enchantment

Whenever an opponent attacks you and/or one or more planeswalkers you control, exile the top card of that player’s library. You may play that card for as long as it remains exiled, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any colour to cast it.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Casual	Legal
Custom	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal

Discussion (21)

Last_Laugh on Isshin - Army of Darkness

1 month ago

@IHATENAMES - I agree that I could use more interaction. I've cut boardwipes right now as more of an experiment but I could use more targeted removal.

Card draw I've been happy with but I'm always after suggestions if you have something not listed below in mind? I run 8 cards that draw, 3 that exile stuff for me to play, and 4 of the best tutors for redundancy. I currently run Esper Sentinel, Mangara, the Diplomat, Twilight Prophet, Tymna the Weaver, Welcoming Vampire, Necropotence, Phyrexian Arena, and Skullclamp for draw and Tectonic Giant, Jeska's Will, and Cunning Rhetoric for play from exile.

Crow-Umbra on Isshin: Mardu for Dummies

1 month ago

No worries! I'm glad you liked my first couple suggestions ACapo18.

I've played my Isshin deck about 5-7 times IRL with some more games on the horizon for this weekend. I think I swapped out Cunning Rhetoric after my first couple of games. In my experiences, it wasn't much of a deterrent, and the cards it exiled weren't particularly useful.

I love Prosper, Tome-Bound; he's one of my recent favorite commanders. I understand how he can be a card advantage engine, but I think him and the other Impulse draw sub-theme is kind of disjointed with the aggro, go-wide stuff that Isshin wants to do. If you needed to, you can likely keep Prosper and Laelia, but Bell Borca, Spectral Sergeant feels kind of out of place compared to the other 2. If you like Impulse draw, have you looked at Florian, Voldaren Scion? He can dig down and pseudo-tutor depending on how much damage you're throwing around each combat.

I can see what you're going for with the creatures that care about Modified status, but I don't think they synergize enough, or have enough support with the rest of your deck to keep included. I personally like Breena, the Demagogue the most (I run her in my own list), but I don't think you're running enough Modified enablers to keep some of the others. That's ultimately your call depending on which ones you like most.

Mirror Box also feels kind of out of place as an anthem effect, since it only helps your Legends. The only other card in your 99 that this really benefits is Rionya, Fire Dancer

Underworld Sentinel also seems really slow for the payoff that it can potentially achieve.

I think if you cut any of those cards, you could likely include a bit more: token productions damage anthems, draw, and board protection. Here are some cards I've played with in my list that I like:

• Signal Pest a low to the ground anthem effect that can come down on any turn and be relevant.

• Boros Charm One of the modal options helps with board protection

• Plumb the Forbidden is pretty great with tokens, especially if you're about to get board-wiped, or know the tokens will die in combat blocks

• Tome of Legends a bit pricey, but will usually have 1-3 counters each game, and drawing investment is pretty minimal.

• Guardian of Faith Kinda like a budget Teferi's Protection

• Soltari Champion Fairly compact anthem effect on a creature

• Unquenchable Fury Can front load damage on any of your creatures and will usually return to hand for reuse.

• Faith's Reward More board protection

Hopefully these additional suggestions are helpful. Would be happy to keep exchanging ideas if you would like. I have an Isshin primer write-up on my profile where I discuss some card options, in case that's of any interest to you. I've generally found that keeping Isshin's mana curve fairly low allows him to rebuild pretty quickly after waves of removal.

Crow-Umbra on Isshin: Mardu for Dummies

1 month ago

This deck looks fun! Have you had a chance to play it much irl? At quick glance there are a couple cards I would recommend as swap outs:

• Cunning Rhetoric - I know this card is pretty popular in Isshin lists in general, but I think it's a bit overhyped, since it only triggers per opponent and not per creature attacking you. In my experience playing it, losing 2 cards wasn't enough of a deterrent for my opponents to stop swinging at me. Marchesa's Decree could slot in here instead, since it triggers per creature and introduces Monarch into the game.

• Velomachus Lorehold - You currently have 11 instants and sorceries in your deck, and Velomachus can free cast 10 of those 11 without any additional buffs or anthems. He only checks for about 11% of your deck when he digs through 7 cards (14 with Isshin). Depending on where you are in the game, that's not the most ideal, imo.

• Raiyuu, Storm's Edge - I think he can be a lot of fun as the commander for a Samurai/Exalted/Equipment/Voltron type list, but he doesn't really fit in this version of Isshin. I recommend checking out Adriana, Captain of the Guard, since she anthems out wide boards that want to swing at everybody.

I hope these suggestions are helpful to you. If you're interested, I have a few more suggestions, but wanted to get your thoughts first.

Gidgetimer on Does Revenge of Ravens trigger …

3 months ago

You can link cards by enclosing them in double square brackets:

Revenge of Ravens

It depends entirely on how the ability is worded. Revenge of Ravens and other cards that say "whenever a creature attacks..." trigger for each attacking creature.

Cunning Rhetoric and other cards that say "whenever an opponent attacks..." will only trigger once per combat.

Duelist's Heritage and other cards that say "whenever one or more creatures attack..." will only trigger once per combat.

Jonesbond49 on Isshan

3 months ago

Most of my cards that draw in Edgar Markov are tribal based, creature based, or are like Read the Bones. Three cards in the current list that aren't are Twilight Prophet, Castle Locthwain, and Bolas's Citadel.

Card advantage pieces: Phyrexian Arena, Thorough Investigation, Audacious Thief, Emberwilde Captain, Court of Ambition, Court of Grace, Court of Ire, Mangara, the Diplomat, Cunning Rhetoric, Breena, the Demagogue, Laelia, the Blade Reforged, Sun Titan, and Etali, Primal Storm.

I didn't consider budget when looking.

KBK7101 on Musashi's Mosh Pit [Primer]

3 months ago

Really excited to build around Isshin. We finally got our Mardu Samurai commander and he does not disappoint! While doing my own research, I found cards like Circle of Flame, Shiny Impetus, Search the Premises, Angelic Exaltation and Cunning Rhetoric all seem pretty decent. Winota, Joiner of Forces seems like a game-changer for this deck, too.

Hesitation is defeat!

Swebb87 on cunning rhetoric playing lands edh?

4 months ago

If I'm playing Cunning Rhetoric in a Shadrix Silverquill deck and I exile an island from someone's deck, can I play it even though it's not in my colour identity?

thompsin7 on Diplomatic Dick

5 months ago

You could add in Parting Thoughts,Idyllic Tutor,Xantcha, Sleeper Agent, or even Cunning Rhetoric