How Bernie Sanders Plays Magic

Commander / EDH Combo Competitive Counters GU (Simic) Infinite Combo Primer

PurePazaak

Creature (37)

• 1x Allosaurus Shepherd
• 1x Avenger of Zendikar
• 1x Beast Whisperer
• 1x Blighted Agent
• 1x Bramblewood Paragon
• 1x Champion of Lambholt
• 1x Cultivator of Blades
• 1x Fathom Mage
• 1x Fauna Shaman
• 1x Fertilid
• 1x Galloping Lizrog
• 1x Gyre Sage
• 1x Hangarback Walker
• 1x Herald of Secret Streams
• 1x Invisible Stalker
• 1x Kalonian Hydra
• 1x Kiora's Follower
• 1x Marwyn, the Nurturer
• 1x Master Biomancer
• 1x Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
• 1x Mycoloth
• 1x Prime Speaker Vannifar
• 1x Rashmi, Eternities Crafter
• 1x Sage of Hours
• 1x Sakashima the Impostor
• 1x Simic Manipulator
• 1x Skatewing Spy
• 1x Spark Double
• 1x Spike Feeder
• 1x Triskelion
• 1x Trygon Predator
• 1x Vorel of the Hull Clade
• 1x Walking Ballista
• 1x Whirler Rogue
• 1x Wild Beastmaster
• 1x Wingcrafter
• 1x Yisan, the Wanderer Bard

Land (37)

• 1x Breeding Pool
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dryad Arbor
• 1x Fabled Passage
• 1x Flooded Grove
• 11x Forest
• 1x Hinterland Harbor
• 10x Island
• 1x Khalni Garden
• 1x Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 1x Novijen, Heart of Progress
• 1x Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
• 1x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Temple of Mystery
• 1x Temple of the False God
• 1x Thornwood Falls
• 1x Yavimaya Coast

Enchantment (7)

• 1x Abundance
• 1x Awakening Zone
• 1x Branching Evolution
• 1x Defense of the Heart
• 1x Doubling Season
• 1x Guardian Project
• 1x Simic Ascendancy

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury
• 1x Nissa, Steward of Elements

Commander (1)

Instant (9)

• 1x Arachnogenesis
• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Collected Company
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Nature's Claim
• 1x Pongify
• 1x Rapid Hybridization
• 1x Reality Shift
• 1x Worldly Tutor

Artifact (7)

• 1x Lifecrafter's Bestiary
• 1x Panharmonicon
• 1x Simic Signet
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Strionic Resonator
• 1x The Great Henge
• 1x The Ozolith

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Maybeboard

Creature (4)

• 1x Pridemalkin
• 1x Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
• 1x Scute Swarm
• 1x Steelbane Hydra

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Thanks for making this the highest rated Ezuri, Claw of Progress deck on TappedOut!

"Finally, let us understand that when we stand together, we will always win. When men and women stand together for justice, we win."

-Ezernie, Claw of Progress

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Since the advent of Progressivism, many politicians have spoken about the greatness of progress. And no one has embodied these ideals more than Ezuri, Claw of Progress .

This is how Bernie Sanders plays Magic: the Gathering. Our mutual Phyrexian friend will take us all to victory - if we use him correctly. Let's see how we can do that.

What is this build?

"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."

-Frank Zappa

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This deck pays homage to the Progressive minds of the United States by putting Ezuri, Claw of Progress at the helm. He is an underrated commander who deserves much more love than he receives. Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, you'll love Ezuri, and you'll love this build.

Expect to place a lot of +1/+1 counters on creatures. We'll start small, but we'll quickly become a formidable threat. While Ezuri's ability obviously makes our creatures big, this build features many creatures who do much more than simply get swol. Let's get going!

Exposition

"It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things"

-T.R., Sage of Reducing Workplace Hours

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It will be tempting to put down creatures as soon as there's enough mana on the field... resist the urge! Those creatures will be of much greater benefit to us after our commander hits the field. Depending on the playgroup and the current board state, we may need to put down a creature or two before Ezuri. Ideal drops would be Champion of Lambholt , Gyre Sage , or Marwyn, the Nurturer , who all benefit from Ezuri's arrival, or Bramblewood Paragon , who makes Ezuri a bit stronger when he comes.

Avoid putting down creatures such as Blighted Agent or Sage of Hours . These bois can do some serious damage later, but they're just too vulnerable right now. Save them for later!

Our board may not look that menacing just yet, but have courage! Our time is coming.

Midgame

"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little."

-Franklin, Dealer of the New

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Usually, we'll wanna put Ezuri, Claw of Progress down as soon as possible. The quicker we get him out, the more experience counters we can receive and the more +1/+1 counters we can deal out!

Once Ezuri is on the field and the combat phase has arrived, we need to consider what creatures to put counters on. This won't happen until around turn 4 or 5, as it'll only happen when we cast a creature with our commander on the battlefield (we can't all play Edgar Markov -_-). Our toolbox is well-stocked with answers to anything the game throws our way:

• Need Mana? Load up Marwyn, the Nurturer , Gyre Sage , or (my personal favorite) Fertilid .
• Need Life? Dump your counters on Spike Feeder (we rarely use its first ability)
• Need Cards? Shower Fathom Mage with counters, but be careful if you don't have Reliquary Tower out!
• Need Creatures? Mycoloth gives them exponentially each upkeep... or steal opponents' creatures with Simic Manipulator ! Even if he dies, you get to keep your spoils.

More often than not, we want to start building up, not wide. This means we will put a large number of counters on a few creatures, rather than putting a few counters on several creatures. That may change depending on the board state, but that's the beauty of this build - it's flexible :)

Endgame

"Don't underestimate your opponent, but don't overestimate them, either."

-Pelosi, California's Fury

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At this point, victory is within our grasp. We need only decide how we're gonna do it! We have several options:

• Hit 'em with a single good beater, such as Prime Speaker Zegana , Blighted Agent , Invisible Stalker , Hexdrinker , or the big stompy himself: Galloping Lizrog .
• Launch a massive assault with everything you've got with the help of Champion of Lambholt , Cultivator of Blades , Master Biomancer , or Wild Beastmaster .
• Mow them down with direct damage from the oh-so-beautiful Triskelion
• Go infinite and lose all your friends at the same time by casting Sage of Hours when you have 4 experience counters (Ezuri will give you one more when Sage enters the battlefield).
• Bask in the beauty of your progress by racking up growth counters on Simic Ascendancy ! This is the flavorful way to win: Pacifism!

Notable Cards and Combos

Image created by Tomiix

Getting the Creatures We Need Show

• Fauna Shaman
• Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
• Prime Speaker Vannifar
• Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
• Defense of the Heart
• Worldly Tutor

Increased Card Advantage/Selection Show

• Beast Whisperer
• Prime Speaker Zegana
• Rashmi, Eternities Crafter
• Abundance
• Guardian Project
• Nissa, Steward of Elements
• Collected Company
• The Great Henge (note: this will hardly ever cost the full 9cmc. Expect to pay more often than not)

Extorting Ezuri's Abilities Show

• Panharmonicon doubles Ezuri, Claw of Progress ' first ability (as well as several "enters the battlefield" abilities on other creatures).
• Strionic Resonator can double Ezuri's first ability but is much better used on his second ability, enabling you to distribute +1/+1 counters twice.
• Sakashima the Impostor and Spark Double can copy Ezuri outright!
• Mirage Mirror cannot copy Ezuri nor Sakashima... but it can copy Strionic Resanator or even Spark Double !

Conclusion

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Thanks for checking out my deck! Suggestions are greatly appreciated, as I am certainly not perfect (unlike the perfection granted by you-know-who). Be sure to leave a +1 if you enjoyed it. Thanks again, and let us all bask in the glory of The Claw!

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Top Ranked	Achieved #1 position overall 7 years ago
Date added	8 years
Last updated	3 years
Exclude colors	WBR
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	12 - 0 Mythic Rares 43 - 0 Rares 18 - 0 Uncommons 6 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.13
Tokens	Ape 3/3 G, Beast 3/3 G, Eldrazi Spawn 0/1 C, Elf Druid 1/1 G, Experience Token, Frog Lizard 3/3 G, Manifest 2/2 C, Plant 0/1 G, Saproling 1/1 G, Servo 1/1 C, Spider 1/2 G, Thopter 1/1 C
Folders	Other People's decks, Decks that seem interesting, EDH (Combo), cool stuff, Fun decks, Cool Decks, Commander, Story, Lustmord and Wargasm, Deck Ideas