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Illusionary Dragons

Commander / EDH

MULRAH

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Lands (36)

The Ur-Dragon Module (5C) (7)

Card Draw (8)

Fun (8)

Ramp (8)

Scion Module (5C) (8)

Commander (1)

Commander: Cromat

Protection Module (5C) (8)

Removal (bRg) (8)

Zirilan Module (Red) (8)

This deck was originally built to use The Ur-Dragon as its commander. Unfortunately, the Ur-Dragon has recently been moved out of the mid-power tier of commanders my group has agreed to use, so I've swapped in Cromat to lead the pack.

Deck Structure

This deck has been built using the 8x8 method. Half the modules fulfill typical functions you'd expect to see in any commander deck, while the other half support the tribal theme of this deck.

For every deck, I include a module for ramp, removal, and card draw, preferably filled with cards that align with the deck's theme rather than generic spells that could go in any deck.

  • Ramp: I did the best I could to keep these cards on theme, but there was only so much I could do.
  • Removal: This module fared better, as most of it is either dragons with removal attached or somehow dragon-related. Apocalypse is in here because it can combo with Worldgorger and Zirilan--unlikely, but still fun to include!
  • Card Draw & Selection: A few dragons provide ways to refresh your hand in the late game, and I included those here. Sarkhan Unbroken gives recurring card draw. Keen Sense and Ophidian Eye can get you cards when stapled to any dragon and combo with Niv-Mizzet.
  • Fun: This module contains miscellaneous effects that seem like they could be fun in this deck.
  • The Ur-Dragon Module is exactly what you'd expect from a straight-up dragon tribal deck. It's all the biggest, baddest dragons that don't fill one of the standard roles outlined above. As with all the other modules, there's a mild attempt at a mana curve, though of course dragons make things pretty top heavy.
  • The Zirilan Module includes solid red dragons, including the module's namesake Zirilan of the Claw. This card is fine on its own but can really start pulling off some shenanigans with Sundial of the Infinite, which I've also included in this suite.
  • The Scion Module adds Scion of the Ur-Dragon, the deck's primary "hidden commander." The module includes dragons that either combo with each other or with other cards in the deck. It also includes reanimation effects to get the dragons you tutor back from the graveyard.
  • The Protection Module provides dragons that protect themselves from removal or strongly disincentivize it. These synergize particularly well with Scion, but they work well on their own. These dragons are less aggressive than those found in typical dragon decks, but that's fine here, as I'm more interested in playing a slower game that can find combos.

Deckbuilding Restrictions

I am loosely following a singleton rule for my entire collection, which severely narrows the selection of cards that can go in this deck. Major exclusions include:

  • cube staples,
  • cards already in my Commander Cube, and
  • cards already in one of my planar cubes (https://mulrah.droppages.com/Magic).

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Updates Add

Goldfishing — Dec. 31, 2021
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I tried this deck out a few times just to make sure it functioned smoothly.

  1. This test took 11 turns to do lethal to three imaginary players, which is on the high end. I didn't have any problem with lands early on and had a steady stream of dragons hitting the board from turn four and on. Unfortunately I had no early ramp plays, so I wasn't doing anything for the first three turns. It felt a little clunky to see various combo pieces without Scion of the Ur-Dragon around to make it all happen, but that's what this deck is signing up for with a "hidden commander."
  2. My second try goldfished in nine turns, largely on the back of Sylvia Brightspear, which doubled the damage from every dragon. The lands were flowing, so I was able to get The Ur-Dragon out on the final turn, which caused the final 10 damage due to Terror of the Peaks. Dragon Arch seemed useless at first, but I eventually drew a couple multicolor dragon and was glad to have it around.
  3. This final attempt fared even better than the last two, with a turn eight finish. Sarkhan Vol's ultimate was of course insane and turned Dragon Tempest into a powerhouse. I was able to trigger it four times on the final turn by playing Hellkite Courser, which brought The Ur-Dragon into play, which brought another dragon into play and drew me into yet another dragon I was able to afford with remaining mana.

Were I to truly optimize this deck around The Ur-Dragon, I'd replace Scion's combo pieces with more ramp, so I can get dragons--especially The Ur-Dragon--out as soon as possible. Instead, each game saw the early turns mostly wasted, while a few combo cards sat in my hand unused. For now, that's okay with me, because I like the possibility that the deck can transform into something that plays differently when Scion's around. Besides, my group is pretty casual, so these slow, inefficient starts help keep the game open to everyone.

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92% Casual

Competitive

Date added 3 years
Last updated 2 years
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)

29 - 0 Mythic Rares

61 - 0 Rares

5 - 0 Uncommons

1 - 0 Commons
Cards 100
Avg. CMC 4.65
Tokens Cat Dragon 3/3 BRG, Dragon 1/1 RG, Dragon 2/2 R, Dragon 4/4 R, Dragon 5/5 R, Dragon 6/6 R, Dragon Egg 0/2 R, Dragon Illusion */* R, Egg 0/1 G, Inkling 2/1 WB, Pest 1/1 BG, Treasure
Folders Retired - Commander Tribal Cycle (Mid-Power)
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