Duergar Hedge-Mage

Creature — Dwarf Shaman

When Duergar Hedge-Mage enters the battlefield, if you control two or more Mountains, you may destroy target artifact.

When Duergar Hedge-Mage enters the battlefield, if you control two or more Plains, you may destroy target enchantment.

Combos

• Alesha, Who Smiles at Death + Duergar Hedge-Mage

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
PreDH	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (47)

trippy_mcfly on Cumly Cube

5 months ago

Introducing Cumly Cube 1.4.2! 4 months ago, Cumly Cube 1.4.1 was released. This was the first minor update. As promised, minor tweaks would continue, both to fix any remaining imbalances and keep the card pool fresh. The following 36 swaps were made to remove two strategies that never found a home in Cumly Cube -- enchantments matter and Centaurs. Instead of trying to make them work, it was easier to remove them. On the other end of the spectrum, a few problematic cards were removed for being too powerful or annoying to play against. Some new cards bolster tribal synergies, while others search for specific planeswalkers, providing an interesting dynamic to look out for while drafting.

Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:

REMOVED:

1. Aether Vial: too powerful
2. Ajani's Chosen: enchantment matters cards are no longer part of Cumly Cube
3. Baral's Expertise: too powerful
4. Captivating Unicorn: enchantment matters cards are no longer part of Cumly Cube
5. Centaur Battlemaster: Centaurs are no longer part of Cumly Cube
6. Centaur Rootcaster: Centaurs are no longer part of Cumly Cube
7. Chronicler of Heroes: Centaurs are no longer part of Cumly Cube
8. Conclave Cavalier: Centaurs are no longer part of Cumly Cube
9. Conclave Mentor: Centaurs are no longer part of Cumly Cube
10. Dawn's Reflection: too much general utility
11. Dawnhart Geist: enchantment matters cards are no longer part of Cumly Cube
12. Duergar Hedge-Mage: too obvious a choice of Cumly
13. Eidolon of Blossoms: enchantment matters cards are no longer part of Cumly Cube
14. Garruk, Apex Predator: cut to make room for another planeswalker
15. Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea: too powerful
16. Hedonist's Trove: too weak
17. Herald of the Pantheon: enchantment matters cards are no longer part of Cumly Cube
18. Humble Naturalist: too obvious a choice of Cumly
19. Imi Statue: too weak
20. Kataki, War's Wage: too strong against artifact decks
21. Kindred Discovery: too weak (in the event where it fits a deck very well, you run a high risk of decking yourself)
22. Lagonna-Band Trailblazer: Centaurs are no longer part of Cumly Cube
23. Many Partings: too much general utility
24. Marwyn, the Nurturer: elves are too commonly known for making mana, but they serve other roles in Cumly Cube!
25. Mayhem Devil: too powerful
26. Moldervine Reclamation: too weak
27. Nikya of the Old Ways: Centaurs are no longer part of Cumly Cube
28. Pheres-Band Raiders: Centaurs are no longer part of Cumly Cube
29. Recoil: too powerful
30. Serra's SanctumGC: enchantment matters cards are no longer part of Cumly Cube
31. Sludge Monster: received complaints about unfun gameplay patterns
32. Teferi, Master of Time: cut to make room for another planeswalker
33. Tireless Provisioner: too powerful
34. Trace of Abundance: too much general utility
35. Tuvasa the Sunlit: enchantment matters cards are no longer part of Cumly Cube
36. Verdant Haven: too much general utility

ADDED:

1. Basri's Aegis: searches for a specific planeswalker
2. Batterhorn: supports the Beast creature type
3. Brightmare: supports the Unicorn creature type
4. Changeling Wayfinder: supports tribal synergies
5. Dance with Devils: supports the Devil creature type
6. Dissension in the Ranks: a fun and unique red card
7. Domri's Nodorog: supports the Beast creature type
8. Dovin's Dismissal: searches for a specific planeswalker
9. Eldrazi Obligator: supports the Eldrazi creature type
10. Emberwilde Captain: supports the Pirate creature type and is another monarch card
11. Flock Impostor: supports tribal synergies
12. Footlight Fiend: supports the Devil creature type
13. Frondland Felidar: supports the Beast creature type
14. Gathering Stone: supports tribal synergies
15. Ghor-Clan Rampager: supports the Beast creature type
16. Grasping Current: searches for a specific planeswalker
17. Havoc Jester: supports the Devil creature type
18. Huatli, Dinosaur Knight: supports the Dinosaur creature type and is searchable by a specific card added to Cumly Cube 1.4.2
19. Infernal Captor: supports the Devil creature type
20. Jace's Ruse: searches for a specific planeswalker
21. Krosan Warchief: supports the Beast creature type
22. Leaf-Crowned Visionary: supports the Elf creature type
23. Liberating Combustion: searches for a specific planeswalker
24. Living Lightning: supports the Elemental creature type and instant/sorcery synergies
25. Medicine Runner: supports the Elf creature type
26. Niambi, Faithful Healer: searches for a specific planeswalker and supports the Human creature type
27. Oko's Hospitality: searches for a specific planeswalker
28. Pulse of the Tangle: supports the Beast creature type
29. Selesnya Evangel: supports the Elf creature type and the Saproling creature type
30. Splendor Mare: supports the Unicorn creature type
31. Sun-Blessed Mount: supports the Dinosaur creature type
32. Teferi, Timeless Voyager: is searchable by a specific card added to Cumly Cube 1.4.2
33. Teferi's Wavecaster: searches for a specific planeswalker and supports the Merfolk creature type
34. Triassic Egg: a slow but powerful artifact to be used in reanimator decks or other strategies
35. Unknown Shores: offers colorless mana for Eldrazi cards and bad mana fixing for decks that need help
36. Yanling's Harbinger: searches for a specific planeswalker and supports the Bird creature type

trippy_mcfly on Cumly Cube

1 year ago

Introducing Cumly Cube 1.4! Two months ago, Cumly Cube was updated to Cumly Cube 1.3, which was touted as balanced and without any notable flaws. There is no more insidious poison than hubris! Many cards remained that were too strong, or close to unplayable. Many archetypes existed in the cube but had too little support to ever be worth drafting. Many cards failed to fit the ethos of Cumly Cube. With 89 more cuts and adds, I am now pleased to announce that, this time, Cumly Cube has reached a final form! Perhaps a few cards are still too strong, too weak, or out of place, but the vast majority of the draft pool is now in an acceptable state. Any further changes to Cumly Cube 1 will exist as minor updates, swapping out only a few cards at a time. This means that there will never be a Cumly Cube 1.5, only 1.4.1, 1.4.2, etc.

Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:

REMOVED:

ARTIFACT

1. Basilisk Collar: equipment is not part of Cumly Cube 1
2. Hedron Archive: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
3. Mox DiamondGC: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
4. Mox Opal: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
5. Mox Tantalite: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
6. Sensei's Divining Top:cut to weaken the artifact archetype

CREATURE

1. Academy Manufactor: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
2. Archfiend of Spite: madness is not part of Cumly Cube 1
3. Arsenal Thresher: too weak
4. Augmenting Automaton: too weak
5. Autonomous Assembler: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
6. Baleful Force: too weak
7. Battleground Geist: cut for a better Spirit card
8. Belligerent Hatchling: too weak
9. Bloodpyre Elemental: too generic of a red card
10. Bloom Hulk: there are better proliferate engines available in Cumly Cube
11. Copperhorn Scout: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
12. Crosis, the Purger: too annoying to play against
13. Deathrite Shaman: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
14. Deus of Calamity: too weak
15. Dutiful Replicator: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
16. Dwynen's Elite: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
17. Emperor's Vanguard: cut to weaken green
18. Farhaven Elf: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
19. Fear of Exposure: cut to weaken green
20. Fertilid: cut to weaken green
21. Galazeth Prismari: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
22. Geyserfield Stalker: too weak
23. Greater Gargadon: suspend is not part of Cumly Cube 1
24. Hallowed Priest: cut for an identical card to support the Cat creature type
25. Heedless One: cut for a similar card to better support the Elf creature type
26. Hematite Golem: too weak
27. Hunted Horror: too weak
28. Impetuous Devils: too generic of a red card
29. Jeskai Student: too weak
30. Junktroller: too weak
31. Lashweed Lurker: emerge is not part of Cumly Cube 1
32. Llanowar Visionary: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
33. Lodestone Golem: we have seen enough of this card in other formats
34. Lunar Avenger: too weak
35. Maze Behemoth: cut to weaken green
36. Mishra's Self-Replicator: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
37. Morselhoarder: too weak
38. Night Incarnate: too generic of a black card
39. Omnath, Locus of the Roil: cut to weaken the Elemental creature type
40. Phantom Nishoba: too weak
41. Quirion Ranger: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
42. Scalding Devil: cut to make room for more interesting Devil creatures
43. Self-Assembler: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
44. Seton, Krosan Protector: cut to weaken green
45. Soul of Zendikar: cut to weaken green
46. Teferi's Sentinel: too weak
47. Thought Monitor: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
48. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell: too generic of a red card
49. Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre: cut to make room for more balanced Eldrazi creatures
50. Walking Ballista: cut to remove an infinite combo payoff accessible from the Cumly Zone

ENCHANTMENT

1. Aura ShardsGC: too powerful
2. Blood Moon: we have seen enough of this card in other formats
3. Impending Disaster: too weak
4. In Bolas's Clutches: cut for a similar but more expensive version of this effect
5. Night Soil: cut due to the presence of two other very similar cards
6. Revel in Riches: too powerful
7. Urban Utopia: cut to weaken green

LAND

1. Ancient TombGC: too powerful
2. Flagstones of Trokair: too weak
3. Mishra's WorkshopGC: too powerful
4. Urza's Saga: too powerful

INSTANT

1. Accelerate: too generic of a red card
2. Bedevil: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
3. Fading Hope: too generic of a blue card
4. Fissure: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
5. Fracture: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
6. Frazzle: too generic of a blue card
7. Inside Out: too weak
8. Lens Flare: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
9. Schismotivate: too weak
10. Seize the Initiative: too weak
11. Volt Charge: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences

PLANESWALKER

1. Karn Liberated: too generic and powerful of a draft pick
2. Nissa of Shadowed Boughs: animating lands is not part of Cumly Cube 1

SORCERY

1. Broken Bond: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
2. Chain Reaction: too generic of a red card
3. False Dawn: too weak
4. Grim Tutor: too powerful
5. Ice Storm: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
6. Lava Flow: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
7. Sinkhole: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
8. Tezzeret's Gambit: too powerful
9. Wildfire: too generic of a red card

ADDED:

ARTIFACT

1. Banner of Kinship: encourages building around creature types
2. Conduit of Worlds: supports graveyard synergies
3. Pillar of Origins: encourages building around creature types

CREATURE

1. Aetherjacket: supports the Thopter creature type
2. Ajani's Pridemate: replaces Hallowed Priest to support the Cat creature type and lifegain synergies
3. Akroan Conscriptor: supports spellslinger synergies
4. Alibou, Ancient Witness: supports the Golem creature type and other artifact decks
5. Ancient Cellarspawn: supports the Demon, Horror, and Nightmare creature types
6. Angelic Aberration: supports the Angel and Eldrazi creature types
7. Axgard Artisan: supports the Dwarf creature type
8. Bloodwater Entity: supports spellslinger synergies
9. Brass Herald: supports the Golem creature type and encourages building around creature types
10. Campus Guide: supports the Golem creature type
11. Chief of the Foundry: supports the Construct creature type and other artifact decks
12. Chrome Courier: supports the Thopter creature type
13. Cursed Wombat: supports the Nightmare creature type and +1/+1 counter decks
14. Darksteel Colossus: supports the Golem creature type
15. Duergar Hedge-Mage: supports the Dwarf creature type
16. Eidolon of Blossoms: supports the enchantment archetype
17. Endbringer: supports the Eldrazi creature type
18. Essence Depleter: supports the Eldrazi creature type
19. Gimli, Mournful Avenger: supports the Dwarf creature type
20. Gishath, Sun's Avatar: supports the Dinosaur creature type
21. Herald of Slaanesh: supports the Demon creature type
22. Hunting Velociraptor: supports the Dinosaur creature type
23. Immaculate Magistrate: replaces Heedless One to support the Elf creature type
24. It That Heralds the End: supports the Eldrazi creature type
25. Kozilek's Channeler: supports the Eldrazi creature type
26. Mayhem Devil: supports the Devil creature type
27. Patrician Geist: replaces Battleground Geist to support the Spirit creature type
28. Petravark: supports the Beast creature type
29. Pillardrop Warden: supports the Dwarf and Spirit creature types
30. Precursor Golem: supports the Golem creature type
31. Prosperous Pirates: supports the Pirate creature type
32. Quandrix Pledgemage: supports the Merfolk creature type and spellslinger synergies
33. Roaming Throne: supports the Golem creature type and encourages building around creature types
34. Rootwater Hunter: supports the Merfolk creature type
35. Shambling Suit: supports the Construct creature type and other artifact decks as well as enchantment decks
36. Shantotto, Tactician Magician: supports the Dwarf creature type and spellslinger synergies
37. Smokebraider: supports the Elemental creature type
38. Solarion: supports the Construct creature type
39. Species Specialist: encourages building around creature types
40. Squealing Devil: supports the Devil creature type
41. Tayam, Luminous Enigma: supports the Beast and Nightmare creature types
42. The Balrog of Moria: supports the Demon creature type
43. The Lady of Otaria: supports the Dwarf creature type
44. Three Tree Mascot: adds mana fixing and encourages building around creature types
45. Titans' Vanguard: supports the Eldrazi creature type
46. Torch Fiend: supports the Devil creature type
47. Ulamog's Dreadsire: supports the Eldrazi creature type
48. Vengeful Devil: supports the Devil creature type
49. Venomcrawler: supports the Demon creature type
50. Wavecrash Triton: supports the Merfolk creature type and spellslinger synergies
51. Zara, Renegade Recruiter: supports the Pirate creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Destructive Flow: offers a land destruction engine that can provide a large advantage in some decks
2. Efficient Construction: supports the Thopter creature type
3. Keldon Twilight: offers a creature destruction engine for aggressive decks
4. Lay Claim: replaces In Bolas's Clutches as a more expensive control spell
5. Might Makes Right: encourages large creatures and can be used in conjunction with sacrifice synergies as a creature destruction engine
6. Porphyry Nodes: offers a creature destruction engine for slower decks
7. Retreat to Kazandu: supports landfall synergies
8. Shivan Harvest: offers a land destruction engine and supports sacrifice synergies
9. Sunken Hope: offers a creature bounce engine for slower decks
10. Whirlwind of Thought: supports spellslinger synergies

LAND

1. Foundry of the Consuls: supports the Thopter creature type

INSTANT

1. Atarka's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
2. Aura Mutation: quite similar to Artifact Mutation
3. Brokers Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
4. Cabaretti Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
5. Dromoka's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
6. Kolaghan's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
7. Lorehold Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
8. Maestros Charm: rounding out the charms in Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
9. Maestros Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
10. Obscura Charm: rounding out the charms in Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
11. Obscura Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
12. Ojutai's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
13. Pulse of the Fields: supports lifegain synergies
14. Quandrix Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
15. Riveteers Charm: rounding out the charms in Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
16. Silumgar's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
17. Silverquill Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
18. Siren's Ruse: supports the Pirate creature type and blink synergies

PLANESWALKER

1. Saheeli, Filigree Master: supports the Thopter creature type
2. Vraska, Golgari Queen: supports sacrifice synergies

SORCERY

1. Renegade Tactics: replaces Accelerate as a less typical red card
2. Roar of the Crowd: encourages building around creature types
3. Temporary Insanity: stealing creatures is a small but important part of Cumly Cube
4. Witherbloom Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility

DemonDragonJ on Battle Hymn of the Seraphim

3 years ago

I have replaced a Mountain and a Plains with Minas Tirith and Sacred Peaks (although I shall eventually replace the latter land with a the red/white member of the Battle for Zendikar dual land cycle (Canopy Vista, Cinder Glade, etc., if WotC ever prints such cards); I almost chose Wind-Scarred Crag, but I decided that the synergy with Duergar Hedge-Mage was more important than gaining 1 life.

Crow_Umbra on Alesha, who keeps playing cards

3 years ago

Totally understandable, goldfishing can only tell us so much. Any time I've had some sluggishness in my decks, it was usually because I wasn't playing enough ramp, and/or enough draw.

If you like the utility of Duergar Hedge-Mage, I'd also recommend checking out Dismantling Wave and/or Wear / Tear. I used to run Hedge Mage in one of the earliest versions of my old Alesha deck, but eventually swapped it with one of those two options. I found that I wanted consistency in my removal, and there were occasions were I'd only meet 1 of the 2 clauses for Hedge Mage.

JazzElves on Alesha, who keeps playing cards

3 years ago

Thanks for the notes, Crow-Umbra!

It's hard to put my finger on where the "slow" feel comes from, though I'll probably have a better answer the next time I get a couple games in. I agree that draw is the most likely culprit here. I haven't had issues with the "amount/speed of mana" part of ramp, but I have had a couple issues with the "right colors" part of ramp, so that's under the magnifying glass right now. It was a toss-up between "3-mana rocks that hit all Mardu colors" and "2-mana rocks that hit 2/3 each" when I was first building, and I'm not 100% sure which I prefer. I'll try the smaller rocks out and see how it feels.

Good lookout on Hazoret's Monument and Welcoming Vampire especially, I hadn't thought of them. They both enable things I want to do and I think I can fit them in.

Duergar Hedge-Mage is in there mainly because it hits both artifacts AND enchantments under the right conditions, but Loran's card draw is really tempting, so it's worth considering the swap-in.

Thanks very much for the feedback, and yeah, I'm having a lot of fun with Alesha so far!

Crow_Umbra on Alesha, who keeps playing cards

3 years ago

Happy to see more people giving Alesha a try. She was also my first venture into graveyard shenanigans.

In regards to the sluggishness, what about your deck feels slow? Your deck looks like it could use a little more draw, & maybe some slightly faster ramp (at quick glance).

I think Boros Signet & co, and Talisman of Conviction & co could replace some of your 3 mana rocks.

Some cool draw pieces that can fit in:

• Hazoret's Monument
• Loran of the Third Path - could maybe replace Duergar Hedge-Mage.
• Tocasia's Welcome
• Welcoming Vampire - this or Tocasia's Welcome could maybe swap with Mentor of the Meek.

Hope these suggestions are helpful. Alesha is a really fun commander.

Crow_Umbra on Smile! At Death!

3 years ago

Happy to see more Alesha players! I have a few suggestions for your consideration. I think your deck looks solid, but a handful of cards could pull it together a bit more:

• Animate Dead / Necromancy/ Dance of the Dead - all of these combo with Leonin Relic-Warder & any of the Aristocrats you already have in list. Here is an explanation if the combo loop in case you're unfamiliar with it.

• Tocasia's Welcome - Can bolster your Welcoming Vampire & possibly replace your Mentor of the Meek. It looks like ~21 of your creatures, including Alesha, would trigger it.

• Jaxis, the Troublemaker - Can make token copies of your creatures with ETB effects & also fills your yard for Alesha.

• Loran of the Third Path is a somewhat more reliable Duergar Hedge-Mage, & can also draw you cards.

Alesha is an old favorite of mine! Happy to see more people playing her

Sheriff_K on Alesha, Who Smiles With Pride

4 years ago

In regards to Fable of the Mirror-Breaker  ^Flip, you're looking at it wrong, I consider it Ramp, Card Draw, and a Discard outlet.. the flipside potentially getting some value is just a bonus. And Flameshadow Conjuring is like a cheaper Strionic Resonator doubling ETB triggers for value.

In regards to the mana base, honestly I wouldn't know what to replace aside from Evolving Wilds/Terramorphic and Basic Swamps.. I don't really wanna go down on the Snow Duals, since they turn on the Duergar Hedge-Mage, and the Scry on Temples is great. You're right though about the reprinted Sulfurous Springs, it was so pricy before.

The reason I'm not running Goblin Bombardment, is because I'd rather my combo pieces be able to be reanimated with Alesha or serve another purpose (in the case of Ashnod's Altar, it's also Ramp.) Without a Goblin/Token strategy I feel Goblin Bombardment falls flat.

Skyclave Apparition IS an interesting choice.. I'd probably consider swapping Ravenous Chupacabra for it if anything, as that's the weakest ETB interaction creature (most of the others have combos.)

The main reason I don't have Exotic Orchard (or namely Fellwar Stone, since I'm still tempted to run Exotic Orchard) is because it's a gamble, since you may not always have opponents with the Colors you need.. And between Alesha's Cost and her Activation, you really wanna hit the RIGHT Colors.

As for Bone Shredder, I really like it since it sacs itself (Echo) to be recurred again later.

PS. Honestly I had no idea Flameshadow Conjuring combo'd with Felidar Guardian... lol. I only had it there for value. But yeah, there are so many combos with many interchangeable pieces in the deck, which I love.

PSS. Yeah, Talisman of Indulgence does take up a ton of budget, but it was... an indulgence ;P (not sorry for the pun.) I just wanted the symmetry/beauty(?) of having all the Talismans in the deck (same goes for the Temples, even though one of them might not be as good as the others Color-wise.)