Howdy do, ladies and gents of the multiverse! Welcome back to Konglicker's Premiere Primers, where I take a commander that's never been played before and build a brand new deck around it, speculating its ideal strategy and playstyle.
It's the most wonderful time of the year, the summer Commander Precon season! All of the decklists have been released, and we have a suite of at least 16 brand new commanders to choose from and brew decks around. Question is, which one will I pick?
Being the rebel that I am, I often try to steer clear of the "chase" commander that everyone wants this time of year. One commander will stand above the rest and immediately light up the internet with a hype train seeking cool new interactions. Unfortunately, many commanders get left by the wayside. Several become permanently popular each year, register over 800+ decks on EDHREC, and cement their place in the community. Others are flash-in-the-pan and quickly forgotten, doomed to be "flavor of the month".
Last year,
Lord Windgrace
and
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
rose far above the others in the lackluster 2018 set to become the most popular commanders in their color combinations. Others, like
Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer
and
Kestia, the Cultivator
failed to immortalize themselves in the format.
So, who do I think is going to forever impact the greatest format Magic has to offer from amongst the 2019 commanders?
Without a shadow of a doubt, based on the online chatter I've seen thus far, I think the most hyped commanders aren't even the mascot generals of their respective decks! I believe
K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
and
Elsha of the Infinite
will rise to prominence and become the most popular commanders in their colors and certainly this set. Why? One word: Storm. The playstyle of infinitely slinging cardboard rectangles back and forth across your board is one of the most popular Magic techniques that rewards good deck building and skill. K'rrik's ability to replace black mana costs with life payment is absurdly busted, begging to be abused by the likes of
Aetherflux Reservoir
for a mono-black combo-palooza. Meanwhile,
Elsha of the Infinite
's ability to FLASH any kind of card except creatures and lands OFF THE TOP OF YOUR DECK is wild. With the right permanents you can tear through your deck like a fat kid through twinkies and insta-kill your opposition...
...which is why my Premiere Primer is NOT about either of them! There's been so much chatter about K'rrik and Elsha that everyone knows what they do and the extent of their potential. The commander I'm going to review is a pure, underrated sleeper. Nobody will see him coming. The two other three-color commanders featured in his deck are getting all of the love.
Today I'll give you a Premiere Primer on
Marisi, Breaker of the Coil
. I find this Naya Cat Warrior sublime, because while his abilities and rulings may seem so straightforward, you will be amazed at how many ways you can build a genuinely powerful Marisi deck. You see, I don't like commanders like Elsha, creatures with abilities that are so niche and specific that you could say that "their decks build themselves" or that there is a single most optimized version. Those commanders are narrow, the card selection is painfully obvious and simple, and while they may be flashy and cool, they don't reward outside-the-box deckbuilding skills. I can argue that Marisi does after showing you my concept brew for him.
The General
Marisi, Breaker of the Coil
is a 5/4 Legendary Creature - Cat Warrior for with two abilities. His controller's opponents can't cast spells in combat, and whenever another creature allied to him deals combat damage to another player, each of that player's creatures are goaded!
Marisi is the first of its kind in that only one other Commander plays with the Goad mechanic, but can't make the best use of it -
Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
in mono-red. Grenzo will be in the deck as part of the 99, of course, for redundancy. Unlike Grenzo, Marisi gives us multiple colors with which to build a goad deck and 3 times as many card options as a result.
Deck Strategy and Playstyle
Marisi is the glanced-over commander from the 2019 Naya Preconstructed Deck because his potential is subtle. Like a stalking big cat in the Savannah, you will not see him coming. As I already described my preference for commanders whose abilities don't paint them into a corner, I will say that Marisi has explosive potential no matter which way you build him. You could play Cat Tribal and add a third color to your old
Arahbo, Roar of the World
deck. My choice for this Primer will be a Naya Chaos/Group Slug deck, where I seek to abuse Marisi's Goad ability.
The endgame of the deck is to lock my opponents out of attacking me and forcing them to attack each other perpetually, putting their board states in jeopardy without having to risk my own as one does with boardwipe magic. This is challenging, hence why I went this route when designing the deck. I will also note that I usually play with the same playgroup, changing my deck up every once in a while to keep things spicy. That said, I can't put too many "tricks" in this deck or else they'll be anticipated and won't work.
How do we achieve this combat-based stranglehold on the game, and do so in such a manner that isn't so cruel that I paint a target on my back from turn one with each new game? We fill the deck with enough evasive threats to swing several at each opponent simultaneously. If we can get at least one creature through to each opponent each turn, we will eventually win through attrition.
Marisi's ability prohibiting your opponents from casting spells in combat is much more helpful in accomplishing this than you may first expect, especially in larger multiplayer games. At what point do all good commander players wait to cast instant-speed removal? When someone goes to combat and points a threat at them, of course! But Marisi says you can't do that. This forces your opponents to quickly make up their minds BEFORE you even pass priority at the end of your main phase before going to combat. Each player must ask himself a bunch of questions: "do I pull the trigger on this removal now? What if he doesn't point any creatures at me? What if I waste this valuable removal as a result? Should I take this damage and save my removal for the goaded backswing from the other players?" Because if they can't decide, it will be too late once attackers are declared. This is the brilliance of Marisi's style of control: forcing your opponents to make tough decisions under pressure. One thing is certain when playing this deck: Your opponents will never be able to overload
Cyclonic Rift
in response to your attack choices, and that alone makes this deck worth every penny. Suck it, blue players.
Card selection for this deck is quite spicy. Initially I envisioned a deck full of creatures that were just "difficult to stop". As I continued to develop the deck, I noticed it gradually becoming "Naya Flier Tribal" with Marisi's ability as the payoff. All your opponent needs is a cat scratch and their creatures are goaded. You will also need cards that protect your creatures from removal, like
Asceticism
and
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
in case your opponents decide to get rid of your threats on someone else's end step or during your pre-combat main phase. Other permanents and spells that imitate Marisi's abilities for redundancy or screw with combat are mandatory. Myriad is another mechanic that can work beautifully here--with it you can take your most powerful threat and clone it for each opponent, sending the copies in all directions. All of the above card types will form the backbone of the strategy, backed up by your standard commander package of at least 10 ramp spells, 2-3 boardwipes (we won't need these once we have the lock), 5 single target removal spells, 10 card draw spells and 38 lands.
When looking to other commanders for guidance and card ideas, the first I go to are creatures that are actually included in this deck as some of Marisi's lieutenants. One was mentioned already:
Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
.
Gahiji, Honored One
was the first "Naya Politics" general, who gives all creatures including your own a power boost for attacking other players.
Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner
and most overlooked Elder Dragon reboot card from M19, actually suits this deck perfectly: she flies and is hexproof unless she's dealt damage to something. Partner commanders
Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa
and
Tana, the Bloodsower
can also make guest appearances here (but are omitted), as one tramples through to create 1/1's upon dealing combat damage and the other makes your smaller creatures difficult to block. The most appreciated Lieutenant is
Sigarda, Host of Herons
, as she makes your creatures invincible once her ally
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
and
Asceticism
are out. Sigarda ensures
Grave Pact
effects do nothing to you.
Sephara, Sky's Blade
is almost as good as Avacyn herself, making almost all of the creatures in this deck indestructible. She is surprisingly easy to cast.
Card Types and Categories
1.
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
+
Sigarda, Host of Herons
+
Asceticism
: Get all three of these permanents onto the battlefield and your boardstate is nearly invincible. You have only one weakness at that point:
Cyclonic Rift
. Swing an angel at two different opponents to start the goad party and ride the gravy train to victory.
-
Blazing Archon
and
Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner
: Flying beaters that serve double-duty as tough blockers and attack deterrent.
-
Dragon Whisperer
,
Dragonmaster Outcast
,
Utvara Hellkite
: Spawn big fliers every turn to send at your opponents.
-
Sephara, Sky's Blade
: She is a surprising edition to this deck and is much more powerful here than at the helm of her own. She protects your flying creatures so you don't have to send so many at a single player to ensure a hit.
-
Bower Passage
: If creatures with flying can't block my creatures, almost all of which are flyers, then nothing can!
-
Dictate of the Twin Gods
: Flash this in before damage to screw with combat math and pull a win out of your butt! Or turn an opponent's attack on another into a surprise kill. Either way, play this card carefully. Timing is everything.
-
Aurelia, the Warleader
,
Hellkite Charger
,
Scourge of the Throne
: These creatures can easily give me an additional combat step, perfect for either getting that extra bit of reach to close a game out, or to take another swing at a player who threw all of his flying blockers in the way during the first attack so I'm guaranteed to get a hit in and goad my opponents.
-
Drakuseth, Maw of Flames
,
Tyrant's Familiar
and
Flameblast Dragon
: Get pesky blockers out of the way before the Declare Blockers step with these giant beatsticks. Getting that Goad is critical.
-
Flamewake Phoenix
: A recursive threat that will almost never go away due to the number of fatties in this deck. Gotta keep the pain train rolling!
-
Disrupt Decorum
: One-time use of Marisi's ability if you suspect you're dead next turn or your commander has died too many times. Great redundancy.
-
Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
: More redundancy.
-
Gahiji, Honored One
,
Curse of Opulence
,
Curse of Bloodletting
,
Curse of Predation
: Providing your opponents with an incentive to attack anybody but you.
-
War's Toll
: Waste everyone's mana, force everyone to attack with everything if they want to attack at all. Pure, sublime madness.
-
Benefactor's Draught
: A wonderful "gotcha" card after goading your opponents. Wait for one player to swing, and play this card when another opponent swings at the guy who is wide open. Creatures will die and you will draw lots of cards.
The pillow fort cards in this deck are still necessary even with the commander's ability. You need protection from all types of strategies, as well as early-game protection in games after your playgroup knows what your deck is capable of.
-
Windborn Muse
: Serves double duty as a flyer to get in damage for goading, as well as removing the incentive to attack you via taxing.
-
Ghostly Prison
+
Sphere of Safety
: Pillow fort tax staples.
-
Crawlspace
: Hard combat protection. In the deck in case your opponent has enchantment removal and not artifact removal.
-
Leyline of Sanctity
,
Witchbane Orb
: In the deck as insurance against non-creature strategies. You will sit at tables with Storm commanders, combo commanders, and mill commanders that don't need to attack with creatures in order to win. These cards are your outs to those playstyles.
-
Smothering Tithe
: White's new ramp staple that gets out of control fast.
-
Cultivate
,
Kodama's Reach
,
Explosive Vegetation
,
Sakura-Tribe Elder
,
Farseek
: We're playing Green in Commander. These are no-brainers.
-
Solemn Simulacrum
: Sad robot can get in an attack or two for goading...but, if he's blocked you draw a card so...value!
-
Selesnya Signet
,
Boros Signet
,
Gruul Signet
: Naya color-fixing ramp staples.
Note:
Curse of Opulence
plays double duty in the deck. You can ramp by attacking the cursed player, and it also fits right into the strategy of getting your opponents to not attack you.
-
Elemental Bond
,
Garruk's Packleader
,
Colossal Majesty
: Most of our creatures are big, so these are great outlets of card draw.
-
Ohran Frostfang
: The creatures in this deck are difficult to block. You will gain lots of value from this.
-
Primordial Sage
,
Soul of the Harvest
,
Lifecrafter's Bestiary
,
Beast Whisperer
: Card draw for getting creatures out. Not a bad idea.
-
Coveted Jewel
: Once you have a large enough squad of fliers out, you can reap the maximum benefit from this card. If anyone has the balls to take it from you, it is very easy to get it back.
-
Rishkar's Expertise
: There are enough fatties in this deck to get monstrous value out of this card.
-
Rogue's Passage
: With this out, you are guaranteed to goad at least one player per turn.
-
Maze of Ith
: Remove a Voltron commander or your opponent's biggest threat from combat, punishing them for not following your game plan.
-
Reliquary Tower
: Commander staple. Good to have out if you're on an insane card-drawing streak, especially if
Ohran Frostfang
is in play.
Wrap-Up
Marisi is a commander that is best used at the helm of a chaotic pillow fort deck with a splash of politics. Your opponents' forces should be doing the bulk of the legwork for you, after which you swing in with your flyers and finish them off. Your flying threats must serve double duty as offense and defense. Your removal should be catch-all and sparing, reserved only for permanents that will win your opponents the game. You shouldn't worry too much about removing opposing creatures (except for combo pieces), as Marisi's goading technique will make them kill each other. You want enough outs and hard counters to win conditions that do not require combat damage so that you force the table to play how you want them to: creature-based slaughter.
Enjoy this brand new commander and the Naya-flavored Chaos he brings to the table.
