[Primer] Calling All Dragons - Mizzix EDH

Commander / EDH Burn Combo Dragons Jank Spellslinger UR (Izzet)

Hydrax

Land (35)

• 1x Cascade Bluffs
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Fiery Islet
• 1x Flamekin Village
• 1x Frostboil Snarl
• 3x Island
• 18x Mountain
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Riverglide Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Shivan Reef
• 1x Steam Vents
• 1x Stormcarved Coast
• 1x Sulfur Falls
• 1x Temple of Epiphany
• 1x Training Center

Sorcery (37)

• 36x Dragon's Approach
• 1x Fabricate

Enchantment (2)

• 1x Pyromancer Ascension
• 1x Leyline of Punishment

Creature (14)

• 1x Baral, Chief of Compliance
• 1x Goblin Electromancer
• 1x Runaway Steam-Kin
• 1x Satyr Firedancer
• 1x Birgi, God of Storytelling  ^Flip
• 1x Guttersnipe
• 1x Jace's Archivist
• 1x Archmage Emeritus
• 1x Storm-Kiln Artist
• 1x Chandra's Incinerator
• 1x Niv-Mizzet, Parun
• 1x Knollspine Dragon
• 1x Ancient Silver Dragon
• 1x Astral Dragon

Instant (3)

• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Seething Song
• 1x Valakut Awakening  ^Flip

Commander (1)

Artifact (8)

• 1x Locket of Yesterdays
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Ruby Medallion
• 1x Talisman of Creativity
• 1x Cloud Key
• 1x Cursed Mirror
• 1x Thrumming Stone

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This deck has been moved to Moxfield. It will no longer be updated here.

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Introduction & Gameplan

Introduction & Gameplan

Make no mistake, this is a burn deck first and foremost, with a modest Dragon package because it slots nicely into the primary game plan. Dragon's Approach is one of those rare cards that we're allowed to play as many of as we want. The goal is set up cost-reducers (one of which is Mizzix of the Izmagnus) so that we can cast cheap Dragon's Approaches over and over until the rest of the table is dead. If the opportunity arises, we also have a combo win-con available.

So, here's the gameplan:

Play cost-reducers so that Dragon's Approach costs just {R} to cast

The first time you're able to exile 5 Dragon's Approach, tutor for any of the following dragons based on the situation at hand:

• Knollspine Dragon if your hand is running low on fuel (by "fuel" I mean no more copies of Dragon's Approach to cast). I would say about 90% of the time I go for this dragon first.

• Ancient Silver Dragon if your hand is running low and you think you can afford to wait a whole rotation around the table to be able to untap and attack with it. It doesn't have Haste which is why in most scenarios you're going to want Knollspine Dragon instead to immediately refill your hand.

• Niv-Mizzet, Parun if you have more copies of Dragon's Approach ready to cast and mana available to cast them. Niv will keep replacing each instant/sorcery you cast with another card.

• Astral Dragon if you happen to have Cursed Mirror on the field because you can literally just win the game when it ETBs.

When you're not tutoring with Dragon's Approach, just focus on burning everyone to death or look to assemble one of the "combos" needed to get an unstoppable train of Dragon's Approach rolling. Refer to the Combos section of this Primer for more info.

Packages

Packages

Ramp & Cost Reduction (14)

• Mizzix of the Izmagnus, Baral, Chief of Compliance, Goblin Electromancer, Ruby Medallion, Cloud Key and Locket of Yesterdays all make our spells cheaper to cast.

• Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Talisman of Creativity, Cursed Mirror, Birgi, God of Storytelling   and Storm-Kiln Artist all generate mana on their own.

• Runaway Steam-Kin can store counters as we cast spells and then remove those counters to give us some mana back.

• Seething Song gives us 5 red mana in exchange for 3.

Card Draw (5)

• Archmage Emeritus and Niv-Mizzet, Parun draw us a card when we cast an Instant or Sorcery

• Knollspine Dragon and Jace's Archivist can wheel our hands for a new set of cards.

• Ancient Silver Dragon can draw us cards when it connects with combat damage.

Removal (3)

• Satyr Firedancer, Niv-Mizzet, Parun and Chandra's Incinerator can all deal damage to creatures

Individual Cards Explained

Individual Cards Explained

A lot of the cards in this deck are pretty self-explanatory. Reading the card explains the card. However, some do have some niche applications and synergies that aren't immediately apparent. Take a glance through this section if any card in the list looks peculiar to you, otherwise feel free to collapse this panel and skip it if you feel confident that you understand the applications of each card.

I also prefer to discuss my cards in order of ascending CMC to better visualize my curve. If you're viewing this deck, I encourage you to click the "Sort" dropdown and select "Mana Value".

Commander

Mizzix of the Izmagnus gives us an Experience counter when we cast an Instant or Sorcery with CMC greater than the number of experience counters we currently have.

Starting off, we have 0. So our first Dragon's Approach will cost the full 3 mana to cast. But doing so will earn us an Exp counter, so the second Dragon's Approach we cast will cost 2, and will earn us another exp counter. With 2 of them, our 3rd Dragon's Approach will cost just {R} to cast.

And that's it. No Instant or Sorcery costs more than 3 mana to cast in this deck, so having just 2 exp counters from Mizzix is all we need.

Keep in mind that Mizzix of the Izmagnus needs to be on the battlefield for the cost reduction to apply; however we have plenty of back up cost reducers in case Mizzix has been killed too many times and is becoming to expensive to recast.

Creatures

• Goblin Electromancer makes all of our Instants and Sorceries cost 1 less to cast, a plain and simple cost reducer.

• Baral, Chief of Compliance is basically another copy of Goblin Electromancer.

• Satyr Firedancer synergizes very well with our Dragon's Approach because Dragon's Approach only deals 3 damage to each opponent but if we have Satyr Firedancer then we also get to deal 3 damage to 1 creature on each of our opponent's boards. Useful for keeping the field clear while not interrupting our game plan of burning our opponents directly.

• Runaway Steam-Kin places a +1/+1 counter on itself whenever we cast a red spell, namely Dragon's Approach. Once it has 3 of them, we can remove them to add {R}{R}{R} to our pool, which is a great way to keep the fuel burning and keep casting more Approaches. If we have cost reducers and a card draw engine, the Steam-Kin can keep the train chugging.

• Guttersnipe deals 2 damage to each opponent whenever we cast an Instant or Sorcery. This basically means Dragon's Approach is dealing 5 damage to every opponent instead of just 3.

• Jace's Archivist is a repeatable Windfall on a stick. Useful for keeping our hand topped off if we're running out of fuel or just need more copies of Dragon's Approach.

• Birgi, God of Storytelling   gives us {R} whenever we cast a spell. This is mainly in here to give us our mana back whenever we cast a Dragon's Approach (after 2 cost reduction), making them essentially free to cast.

• Storm-Kiln Artist does essentially the same thing as Birgi, God of Storytelling  , giving us access to 1 mana back after each Instant or Sorcery we cast.

• Archmage Emeritus replaces every Instant or Sorcery we cast by letting us draw a card after each one.

• Chandra's Incinerator is very easy to cast in this deck because a single Dragon's Approach will deal 9 damage to our opponents (assuming we're playing a 4 player game) which will reduce the casting cost to just {R}. Once it's on the board, it acts as another Satyr Firedancer by replicating burn damage dealt to our opponents' faces and burning their creatures for the same amount.

• Niv-Mizzet, Parun replaces every Instant/Sorcery we cast by letting us draw a card whenever we do so. However, it also draws us a card when somebody else does it too. It also pings any target we want every time we draw a card, useful for killing problematic creatures or just pointing more damage at an opponent's face.

• Knollspine Dragon is a great target for Dragon's Approach's second ability. We can fetch Knollspine Dragon if our hand is running empty and target whichever opponent has lost the most life this turn. At minimum, we'll draw 3 cards (assuming Dragon's Approach did all the damage this turn).

• Ancient Silver Dragon draws us cards if it connects with combat damage. We want our hand full because we want to cast lots of Dragon's Approach, not much else matters.

• Astral Dragon is in here as a combo win-con with Cursed Mirror. We can fetch it with a 5th copy of Dragon's Approach and once it ETBs we can make two copies of Cursed Mirror, which will then in turn copy Astral Dragon, which will then create more copies of the original Cursed Mirror, rinse and repeat for infinite copies of Astral Dragon with Haste. We can swing for game after that.

Artifacts

• Locket of Yesterdays makes our Dragon's Approach cost 1 less for each copy of Dragon's Approach in our graveyard. Yes, it does sort of conflict with the fact that Dragon's Approach wants to be exiled once there are enough of them but since the Locket only costs 1 to have in play, the opportunity cost is negligable.

• Cloud Key is another reliable cost reducer. If, however, we already have Dragon's Approach reduced to just {R} then we can cast Cloud Key naming another card type so it's never really a dead card.

• Sol Ring is just a reliable mana rock, an EDH staple.

• Arcane Signet taps for either of our colors.

• Talisman of Creativity taps for either of our colors at the cost of 1 life or we can just tap it for colorless and not pay any life.

• Ruby Medallion not only reduces the cost of our Dragon's Approach but also all of our other Red spells.

• Cursed Mirror is a combo piece with Astral Dragon. However, we need to keep two things in mind. This card has to be on the field BEFORE we bring Astral Dragon into play. Second, when we play this card, we must NOT have it enter as a copy of another creature. Just treat it as a regular mana rock. The reason is because Astral Dragon creates copies of a NON-creature permanent, so we have to make sure Cursed Mirror is JUST Cursed Mirror and not a creature. If we draw this card or Fabricate for it, we play it as a mana rock and just relax. Once we cast 5 copies of Dragon's Approach, we can use the effect to search for Astral Dragon and combo off to win the game.

• Thrumming Stone can actually end games if we get lucky enough. It gives our spells Ripple 4, which means that when we cast a Dragon's Approach, we get to check the top 4 cards of our library and if there is another Dragon's Approach among them, we can cast it for free. Then that one also gets Ripple 4, meaning we get to keep going, casting Dragon's Approach for free until we get unlucky and don't find any more copies in our Ripple 4. This is why we're playing 36 copies of Dragon's Approach, so that statistically speaking 1 out of 3 cards we see should be a Dragon's Approach. This is one of the best cards in the deck and that's why we have a single Fabricate to be able to search for it.

Enchantments

• Pyromancer Ascension receives a quest counter whenever we cast an Instant or Sorcery with the same name as one in our graveyard. After Pyromancer Ascension has 2 quest counters on it, it copies any instant/sorcery we cast from that point on. We don't have to work very hard for this reward considering we have 36 copies of Dragon's Approach in this deck. After the 2 quest counters, each time we cast a Dragon's Approach, we'll essentially be dealing 6 damage to each opponent instead of 3.

• Leyline of Punishment makes sure that damage can't be prevented. We're playing a burn deck. If any of our opponents have an effect that perpetually prevents damage, we're kind of stuck so Leyline of Punishment is a fail safe against any such effect.

Instants

• Seething Song nets us 2 red mana which may be crucial to cast more Dragon's Approach in a single turn.

• Valakut Awakening   is a fantastic card in this deck because we have the option to just play it as a Land if we need the mana. Or we can use it to reset our hand. This is a great way to get our Dragons back into the deck where they'll be a lot more useful since Dragon's Approach can only fetch them from the deck.

• Mystical Tutor lets us search for any Instant or Sorcery, it's mainly a way to find Fabricate which lets us find Thrumming Stone or Cursed Mirror.

Sorcery Spells

• Dragon's Approach is the namesake of the deck and the primary burn source that will be scorching our opponents to cinders. Every 5th one we cast allows us to exile it (and 4 others from our graveyard) to tutor a Dragon directly onto the field. We can get Knollspine Dragon to refill our hand or Niv-Mizzet, Parun if we want to start drawing cards after casting sorceries.

• Fabricate is literally only in here to find Thrumming Stone or Cursed Mirror, both of which can help us "combo" off.

Lands

• Scalding Tarn and Prismatic Vista are our fetch lands, useful for deck thinning and mana fixing.

• Command Tower, Cascade Bluffs, Fiery Islet, Frostboil Snarl, Riverglide Pathway  , Shivan Reef, Steam Vents, Stormcarved Coast, Sulfur Falls and Training Center tap for either of our colors and can all come into play untapped.

• Temple of Epiphany is the only dual land that comes in tapped but the ability to Scry is crucial in helping us set up for next turn or digging for another Dragon's Approach.

• Flamekin Village can give one of our creatures Haste, useful for when we've just tutored for an Ancient Silver Dragon and need it to attack immediately.

• 18 Mountains and 3 Islands round out the lands in the deck. Definitely more Mountains because the majority of our deck requires Red to cast.

Combos

Combos

Combo 1: Astral Projection

Requirements:

• Cursed Mirror on the field as itself (not a copy of another creature)

• Astral Dragon in hand ready to cast OR in deck as Dragon's Approach resolves

Steps:

1. Cast Astral Dragon if it's in your hand, otherwise fetch it when your 5th copy of Dragon's Approach resolves.

2. Astral Dragon enters the battlefield, use its effect to create dragon copies of Cursed Mirror.

3. As those copies enter, they have the same text as Cursed Mirror, so you can have them enter the battlefield as a copy of the original Astral Dragon.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 an infinite number of times. The result is infinite copies of Astral Dragon who all have Haste, swing them at your opponents to win the game.

Combo 2: Value Engine

This isn't a combo in the traditional sense but we can assemble a couple of cards that will allow us to get an unstoppable train of Dragon's Approach rolling.

First off, we're going to need enough cost reduction so that Dragon's Approach only costs {R} to cast. Not hard to do in this deck:

• Mizzix of the Izmagnus with at least 2 experience counters

• any 2 of Baral, Chief of Compliance, Goblin Electromancer, Ruby Medallion, Cloud Key

• Locket of Yesterdays with 2 copies of Dragon's Approach in the graveyard

Then, we're going to need an effect that draws us a card whenever we cast a Sorcery:

• Archmage Emeritus or Niv-Mizzet, Parun.

Finally, we'll need something that gives us mana when we cast a Sorcery:

• Birgi, God of Storytelling   or Storm-Kiln Artist.

The way this works is that every time we cast a Dragon's Approach, we get 1 mana back from Birgi (or a treasure from the Artist) and we draw a card off of Niv-Mizzet or Emeritus. If we're lucky we can keep chaining Dragon's Approach until we don't have any left to cast. During this process, we can use Dragon's Approach's effect to grab a Knollspine Dragon to refill our hand and keep going.

A more reliable way is just having Thrumming Stone on the board. That way, every time we cast a Dragon's Approach, we have a chance to find another copy in the top 4 cards of our deck. If we find one, we cast it for free and Thrumming Stone triggers again, allowing us to keep going until we don't find another Dragon's Approach. I've settled on 36 copies of Dragon's Approach because I almost never whiff on Thrumming Stone with that number.

Oh Lawd they comin

Upgrades

Upgrades

Let's address the elephant in the room - 36 copies of Dragon's Approach seems insane. This is my personal build meant for lower-power pods and is more of a meme deck than anything else. If you like the core ideas behind it but cannot bring yourself to run that many copies of Dragon's Approach, feel free to cut 5 or 6 of them. The deck can function just fine with 30 or so copies.

With all those open slots, feel free to fill them with whatever you see fit. Fierce Guardianship, Deflecting Swat, Fire Servant, etc.

There are also a few cost reducers that aren't in the deck but are certainly options worth considering:

• Font of Magic

• Jace's Sanctum

• Primal Amulet  

• Rowan, Scholar of Sparks  

• Haughty Djinn

• Voracious Reader  

• Wizards of Thay

You could also flip the script and run a different commander such as Obosh, the Preypiercer or Kykar, Wind's Fury which opens up several different options.

Budget Options

If you like the idea behind the deck but don't have a ton of money to spend, this section points out some of the most expensive cards in the deck and provides suitable replacements that are much cheaper to purchase.

Creatures

• Ancient Silver Dragon can be replaced with Dragon Mage

Artifacts

• Ruby Medallion can be replaced with Haughty Djinn or Rowan, Scholar of Sparks  

Instants

• Mystical Tutor can be replaced with Solve the Equation or Brainstorm

Lands

• Fiery Islet can be replaced with Molten Tributary

• Prismatic Vista can be replaced with Swiftwater Cliffs

• Riverglide Pathway   can be replaced with Prismari Campus

• Scalding Tarn can be replaced with Volatile Fjord

• Steam Vents can be replaced with Highland Lake

• Stormcarved Coast can be replaced with Izzet Guildgate

• Training Center can be replaced with Wandering Fumarole

Change Log

Change Log

9/20/22

• No edits to the decklist, just cleaned up the Primer and added a Budget Options section.

8/29/22

• Made the difficult decision to take out Torbran, Thane of Red Fell. The triple red casting cost was too intensive; I found myself much rather using that mana to cast Approaches and therefore Torbran almost never saw any time on the battlefield. Replaced him with Runaway Steam-Kin.

• Got my hands on an Ancient Silver Dragon finally, so Dragon Mage is getting replaced. Ancient Silver Dragon is better in most cases.

• Took out a single Mountain in favor of Valakut Awakening  . We can still play it as a land if needed, so the opportunity cost is almost negligable, but we have the option to use it to reset our hand. I found that sometimes I'd end up with an expensive dragon in hand which I would much rather have had in my deck so it could be fetched with Dragon's Approach. That's why I made this swap.

8/28/22

• Decided to add the Astral Dragon + Cursed Mirror combo as an alternate wincon. Removed 1 copy of Dragon's Approach and Hellkite Tyrant because I almost never fetched it with Dragon's Approach and it never saw much play because I'm tapping out to cast burn spells, not Hellkite Tyrant.

• Also considering Valakut Awakening   in case we need to put Astral Dragon back into our deck. I might take out a single Mountain for this because it's a dual face card that can be played as a land if needed. Some testing to be done.

8/17/22

• Swapped Fabled Passage for Temple of Epiphany because this isn't meant to be a super serious deck so I can afford to play 1 tap land and because I actually like the ability to scry and set up for next turn or dig for a Dragon's Approach.

Top Ranked	Achieved #21 position overall 7 years ago
Date added	7 years
Last updated	7 months
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	2 - 0 Mythic Rares 32 - 0 Rares 6 - 0 Uncommons 39 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.18
Tokens	Copy Clone, Experience Token, Treasure
Folders	Potential Modern Builds, Modern deck ideas, Potential Fun Decks, 1st Place FNM, Modern, humans, decks i want to make, Modern maybe, COMBINE TO MAKE ULTIMATE, Modern Decks