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Please Ban Torpor Orb | *Primer*

Commander / EDH Aggro Hatebears Humans Primer Tempo

GregariousG


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Introduction

The more I play this game, the more I am drawn to certain decks. This shell has been my main project since I’ve started playing EDH. It’s shifted from Riku ETB to Sans-Black Kiki-chord, to Five color Kiki-chord, and now has landed on Rainbow Humans. If you like Humans, Hatebears, and applying consistent pressure, then this might be the deck for you.


Overview

This is a replication of the Modern Humans deck. Like the Modern version, are the main colors, sporting a majority of the hatebears. These two colors provide the aggression, like Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, lock pieces, like Drannith Magistrate and Archon of Emeria, and ramp in Katilda, Dawnhart Prime. The addition of provides counterspells and Human stable Reflector Mage. adds the most aggressive card in the deck, the commander Najeela, the Blade-Blossom. is mainly here for removal and tutors. All of this provides an aggressive deck that can tempo out the board.


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Najeela, the Blade-Blossom: Now this is a commander that I want for this deck. With Druids' Repository on the field and enough creatures attacking, Najeela can produce infinite attack steps. This also works with Bloom Tender, tapping for WUBRG, and Derevi, Empyrial Tactician. The same goes for Sword of Feast and Famine with lands that produce WUBRG. She has an application regardless if I am trying to combo off with her or not. At 3cmc, she provides some early game pressure. Her ability to create tokens is great for Skullclamp, if you choose to play it. Even without comboing, Najeela can and will get out of hand all by herself. I find that I lean on this attribute more and more as I continue to play this deck, especially after the Flash ban. Najeela is very aggressive and can tempo out the table with attacks and spell back up..


Najeela Sweeps the Table

Najeela can take out the table in a four person game if she and her tokens are left unchecked.

First Attack: Create 1 token and deal 4 damage (3 from Najeela and 1 from the token).

Second Attack: Create 2 tokens, totaling 3 tokens, and deal 6 damage. 10 damage is dealt in total.

Third Attack: Create 4 tokens, totaling 7 tokens, and deal 10 damage. 20 damage is dealt in total.

Fourth Attack: Create 8 tokens, totaling 15 tokens, and deal 18 damage. 38 damage is dealt in total.

Fifth Attack: Create 16 tokens, totaling 31 tokens, and deal 34 damage. 72 damage is dealt in total.

Sixth Attack: Create 35 tokens, totaling 69 tokens, and deal 72 damage. 114 damage is dealt in total.

The scenario above takes into account that there are no other warriors on the field besides Najeela and her tokens. The following cards expedite the clock.

  • Mindblade Render
  • Professional Face-Breaker
  • Shanna, Purifying Blade
  • Winota, Joiner of Forces

  • Winota, Joiner of Forces: This is the secondary commander of this deck. When this card was spoiled, people were complaining that Winota was disjointed. Winota wants non-human creatures to attack which will trigger a Collected Company effect for humans only. You know who makes lots of non-human tokens? Najeela, the Blade-Blossom. Winona is the reason why this list is stocked with humans. I think the best part about Winota is that she triggers when a non-human attacks. That means that just two warrior tokens can dig twelve cards deep. With most of the humans having an ETB trigger, Winota is a nice addition to this mess of cards.

    Land Order

    It is important to remember that the core of this deck is . However, I always want Turn 1 or Turn 2 . Thus, the lands that I decide to fetch or play first reflect that. Granted, this changes depending on what’s in hand, but I usually value certain shock lands/filter lands over others. Here is the order I favor:

    1. Stomping Ground
    2. Temple Garden
    3. Breeding Pool
    4. Hallowed Fountain
    5. Overgrown Tomb
    6. Sacred Foundry
    7. Steam Vents
    8. Godless Shrine
    9. Watery Grave

    The Game Plan

    Early Game (T1-3): The game plan is to always get Najeela online either T1 or T2. Once she is on the board, the rest of the cards are there to support her or protect her. If Najeela gets removed, replay her. Najeela Tempo is always the plan.

    Mid-Game (T4-7): I want to end the game within these turns, if possible. This is where Winota comes into play. Winota and Najeela is an abusive combo that provides plenty of card advantage, to the point where it is easy to overwhelm the board..

    Late Game (T7 and onward): If the game goes past turn seven, I transition into a mid-range deck. Najeela and Winota are still best here. The Human/Hatebears package can address most problems one could come across. Various pump effects and Blade Historian’s double strike will make combat more favorable for me than my opponents. As well, Jodah, the Unifier pumps most of the creatures and provides a cascade effect, adding even more to the board.

    Enter the Battlefield Prohibition

    Though this deck has transitioned from a Kiki-chord/Twin decks, Torpor Orb-like effects hinders some of what I’m trying to accomplish. This deck WANTS enter the battlefield effects. There are measures to combat these effects, but I prefer not to run into them at all. However, there is good news. Most of these cards aren’t played as much because it hinders most player’s game plans. As of 04.16.2020, here are the amount of decks playing these cards, according to EDHREC.com:

  • Hushbringer: 1896 or 1% of decks
  • Torpor Orb: 4591 or 1% of decks
  • Hushwing Gryff: 2491 or 2% of decks
  • Humility: 1375 or 1% of decks
  • Tocatli Honor Guard: 1060 or 1% of decks
  • Containment Priest: 2873 or 2% of decks
  • If I run into any of these cards, I have Assassin's Trophy, Cyclonic Rift, Nature's Claim, and Anguished Unmaking to combat these threats.

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    Adeline, Resplendent Cathar: I enjoy the aggressiveness of this card. First, Adeline pumps her power per token present, which will make her huge most of the time. She has vigilance and */4 so she is good at playing offense and defense. However, the reason why she is here is because of her token generation. When one of our creatures attacks, create one token per opponent tapped and attacking. Because of these, Adeline provides constant pressure to the table. Because of her power being *, she is easy to tutor and reanimate with Alesha. Just remember that Adeline doesn’t have to attack to make the tokens, making her playable before combat.

    Blade Historian: I’m going to be real with you all; I knew I was playing Blade Historian as soon as it was spoiled. Blade Historian gives all attacking creatures you control double strike. This works great with Winota, Joiner of Forces and Najeela, the Blade-Blossom, which both create attacking creatures. For a deck with creatures with lower power, double strike gives more resilience to my creatures in combat, doubling their damage. A double striking 1/1 token now can’t be chump blocked by a x/1 effectively. I know what you’re thinking; how am I going to cast this card? I’m probably not. This deck has many ways to cheat out this threat.

    General Ferrous Rokiric: There is the thing about GFR; he snowballs out of control pretty quick. First, he has hexproof from monocolored so Lightning Bolt, Swords to Plowshares, and other heavily played cards can’t touch him. In addition, he creates a 4/4 symbol:r/w golem each time you use a multicolored spell. This provides instant speed blocks, more beaters, and over all more value to the multicolored spells in the deck.

    Halana and Alena, Partners: Halana and Alena act as a mini Xenagos, God of Revels. HaA can pump one creature by giving +1/+1 equal to HaA’s power and it gains haste. HaA keeps the pressure going on the battlefield and will make the bullies/hatebears much bigger. As well, this makes Esper Sentinel cost harder to pay and mana dorks able to effectively get some damage in. However, Dominaira United gift of Jodah, Unifier makes HaA kinda crazy. Even with these two cards on the field, HaA puts four +1/+1 counters on any creature, making the smallest of creatures into a threat.

    Jodah, the Unifier: Jodah is a Coat of Arms for legendary creatures. This ability is the main reason why I added Jodah, especially when he is flipped off the top with Winota, Joiner of Forces. Jodah’s second ability is strong as well, providing cascade for legendary spells. This will further increase the board, as most of the legendary spells in the list are creatures. This is especially strong with General Ferrous Rokiric. However, there are some anti-synergistic elements to Jodah. First, Jodah and Winota sometimes don’t play well together. These two cards are best when Winota flips Jodah. That’s great, but doesn’t always happen. Winota wants humans in the deck so that she can put them onto the battlefield for free. Jodah wants legendary cards in hand for the cascade effect. Those two elements go against each other, it isn’t enough to not play this card. Overall, Jodah is a great addition to this list.

    Lavinia, Azorius Renegade: If an opponent casts something with spending mana on it, Lavinia counters it. Thus, Lavinia nullifies things like Force of Will, Deflecting Swat, and other busted free spells most people are playing in EDH. As well, Lavinia further limits play by preventing opponents from playing non-creature spells with greater cost than the number of lands that player controls. This utility, mainly the “no free spells”, and the cheap cost of makes Lavinia a great addition to this list.

    Dennick, Pious Apprentice  : I’ve seen multiple lists of 5c Jodah in Standard play Dennick, Pious Apprentice   and I kinda wondered why. However after testing, Dennick pulls his weight in this shield. First, he is a legendary human, which is important, with lifelink for . As well, Dennick prevents cards in graveyards to be the target of spells or ability. This puts a halt on graveyard strategies that other people are playing and not affecting me at all. Yes, Dennick does flip to Dennick, Pious Apparition   but this isn't utilized unless I absolutely need a creature. Dennick’s flip is a 3/2 with flying that provides clues when creatures die.

    Drannith Magistrate: While the Magistrate is on the field, my opponents can’t cast spells from anywhere other than their hands. This not only deals with commanders, but it also hits escape, foretell, flashback, etc. Also, Drannith Magistrate is a human.

    Ertai Resurrected: Ertai is “nope” on a stick. When Ertai enters the battlefield, he can counter a target spell, activated ability, or targeted ability. As well, he can destroy a creature or planeswalker. After preventing or blowing up something, that player that Erati said no to draws a card. One could think of Ertai as an overcosted counter for . I prefer to think that Ertai is a legendary human that prevents something that I didn’t approve of. As well, Ertai has an abusable ETB, which works great with Winota, Jodah, and Lagrella.

    Elite Spellbinder: Thank you, Strixhaven, for printing the best version of Tidehollow Sculler to this deck. For , Spellbinder is a flying 3/1 body with ETB hand disruption. I value the evasive body and the tempo of removing a card from an opponent’s hand. Because Spellbinder exiles the card, Drannith Magistrate will prevent that card from being castable. That’s a nice synergy I couldn’t pass up.

    General Kudro of Drannith: I came to the conclusion that this card is a must if you are playing and human tribal theme. First, GKoD pumps all humans by +1/+1. Second, when GKoD or another human enters the battlefield, you can exile a card from an opponent’s graveyard, providing interaction with all the reanimators decks out there. Lastly, you can sacrifice two humans to destroy a creature with power four or greater for . With this last ability, GKoD can blow up opposing threats with humans that lost their value. More importantly, all of the tokens created by Adeline, Resplendent Cathar are human. Those tokens, if they are just going to be chump blocked, can be sacrificed and used as removal. Dumb.

    Drana and Linvala: This is just Linvala, Keeper of Silence with the additional vigilance that steals activated abilities of opponents. Linvala is good, Drama and Linvala is great.

    Opposition Agent: For , Agent shuts down my opponent’s ability to tutor. If left unanswered, this can put a halt on people’s game plans. With open mana, most opponents will be forced to play around a blowout from Agent. Also, Agent is a human.

    Reflector Mage: That;s a nice creature you got there. It’d be a shame if something happened to it…. But honestly, Reflector Mage is a great tempo piece, a devastating flip off of Winota, and my preferred card to flicker.

    Thalia and The Gitrog Monster: Thalia and her legendary frog mount provide good keywords with first strike and deathtouch /i> and provide an additional land drop per turn. Thalia still forces my opponent’s creatures and non-basic lands to enter tapped. As well, Thalia and Frog can sacrifice a creature, which we have plenty of at our disposal, or a land to draw a card when she attacks. For an additional , Thalia and Frog is just a straight upgrade to Thalia, Heretic Cathar

    Esper Sentinel: The human metal fish man finally made it into the deck. Like stated before, this is a Mystic Remora on a body. Because of the supporting cards, it is easy to get Esper Sentinel’s power higher, forcing players to not pay the decks and let me draw a card.

    Mindblade Render: Draws a card when a warrior deals combat damage to an opponent. With an early Najeela on the field, Mindblade will be a source of continuous card draw. Keep in mind that you draw a card and lose 1 life per instance. It is not a may trigger. I've never lost this way, but it is good to keep in mind.

    Professional Face-Breaker: My goodness. Thank you, Streets of New Capenna for this silly card. First, FB is a 2/3 with Menace warrior. Second, FB can produce a treasure per player that was dealt combat. Lastly, FB provides an Reckless Impulse-effect when a treasure token is sacrificed. FB checks off multiple boxes and is a great card draw engine for Najeela.

    Samut, Vizier of Naktamun: Oh, Samut. She is a first strike, vigilance, and haste human warrior. That’s great right off the bat. Because of her statline, Samut triggers Najeela and can be flipped off of Winota. However, the part that makes Samut silly is that she is a draw engine for haste creatures and creatures that enter the battlefield tapped and attacking. As of now, Najeela, the Blade-Blossom, Winota, Joiner of Forces, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, and Halana and Alena, Partners can facilitate card drawing with Samut. Samut, herself, can replace herself with a card if she hits an open opponent. Samut adds more value to attacking tokens that are trying to get into the red zone anyways.

    Shanna, Purifying Blade: Shanna is a 3/3 warrior with lifelink. Because of this, Shanna is another warrior that triggers Najeela. That’s good, but that isn’t the reason why Shanna is in the list. At the beginning of your end step, you can pay to draw that many cards. This card draw is limited by the amount of life gained this turn. At base, Shanna acts as a possible Jace's Ingenuity for . I actually think just paying or and holding up mana is still very strong. Though I doubt that I would spend more than for this ability, there are multiple ways to gain more life per turn through pump effects, like Jorah, the Unifier, and other lifelink creatures like Serra Ascendant.

    Tymna the Weaver: Speaking of lifelink, Tymna is another legendary human with this sustaining keyword. However, Tymna is here to draw 3 cards a turn for 3 life.

    Arbor Elf, Avacyn's Pilgrim, Birds of Paradise, Elves of Deep Shadow, Ignoble Hierarch, Llanowar Elves, and Noble Hierarch: Mana dorks for acceleration. Most of these get me to as quickly as possible.

    Derevi, Empyrial Tactician: Essentially an upgraded Pestermite. However, the tap/untap effect occurs during ETB triggers and on combat damage. Because of this, Derevi can turn chip shots at open opponents into helpful untaps of lands, mana dorks, or anything else. Deveri combos with Najeela and four attackers. If the creatures deal damage, tap for Najeela’s ability and untap the lands.

    Dockside Extortionist: For , create a treasure token for every artifact and enchantment opponents control. This is probably one of the best ramps cards printed in a long time due to the large amounts of value created. As long as there are at least three artifacts and enchantments on the field, Dockside is a net positive. Honestly, there is no reason not to play Dockside if you are in .

    Katilda, Dawnhart Prime: This is a pseudo-Cryptolith Rite with a restriction to Humans. What I like best about this type of effect is that it gives more options to fully utilize my creatures. If I can't profitably attack with a human hatebear. I can just tap it for mana. Like Shalai, Voice of Plenty, Katilda can distribute +1/+1 counters to the team for . Shalai’s form of this ability is better because Katilda needs to be tapped. Regardless, Katilda is a great piece of acceleration and busted in human tribal.

    Lagrella, the Magpie: Lagrella is an improved version of Fiend Hunter. With Lagrella, she can remove up to four creatures, one of them being your own. Because of this, Lagrella acts as a removal, protection, and re-entry for ETB creatures. Lagrella adds the benefit of placing two +1/+1 counters on creatures you control that were previously exiled with her. Thus, Lagrella can protect Najeela if she is drawing too much attention then have Najeela re-enter as a 5/4. Lagrella also works well with Halana and Alena, Partners, due to Lagrella’s ability pumping Halana and Alena’s power.

    Restoration Angel: This is one of the few creatures I kept from the Kiki/Chord shell and there is a reason for that. Resto is a flying body that can save/flicker non-angel creatures. Thus, resto can reuse the ETB trigger humans for more value.

    Rhystic Study: Rhystic provides card advantage and a stax element to my gameplan. This is either slowing my opponents down or drawing me cards, both plans work for me.

    Sylvan Library: Early card draw for life.

    Druids' Repository: With the release of Najeela, Repository enables infinite combat steps with enough creatures on the field. With five attackers, Repository will have enough charge counters to produce WUBRG. Use this mana to create infinite combat steps

    Neoform: One time Birthing Pod-effect.

    Abrupt Decay: Uncounterable removal for for anything less than .

    Anguished Unmaking: The anti-Torpor Orb tech. To be fair, Anguished Unmaking is the anti-everything tech.

    Assassin's Trophy: Blow up a permanent and replace it with a basic land? Yes, please! This is even better versus opponents who run multi-color and/or more expensive decks.

    Boseiju, Who Endures: This is, most of the time, an uncounterable artifact/enchantment/non-basic land removal for . At its worst, Boseiju is an expensive Forest. Dumb.

    Cyclonic Rift: A stable sweeper.

    An Offer You Can't Refuse, Concerted Defense, Counterspell, Deflecting Swat, Delay, Dovin's Veto, Fierce Guardianship, Flusterstorm, and Swan Song: This is the counterspell package. These are best used to protect the combo and furthering tempo progress.

    Fire Covenant: This does X damage divided among any target creatures equal to the amount of life paid into X. Generally, Fire Covenant is used to remove low toughness creatures and mana dorks. However, Fire Covenant can remove bigger creatures without as much concern due to the lifelink in this deck.

    March of Swirling Mists: March of Swirling Mists plays double duty as protection and removal in this deck. This can either save creatures from removal/boardwipes and can clear a path to attack opponents.

    Silence: This is the “I’m about to pop-off and you can’t stop me” card for .

    Swords to Plowshares: Great removal for .

    Diabolic Intent: Sacrifice a creature, including tokens, and tutor for a card. Nuff’ said.

    Endless Detour: This is a bounce spell that can also counter spells, overcomes uncounterable spells, and retrieve cards in the graveyard. This is one of the most versatile cards I’ve ever seen.

    Ephemerate: For , I can flicker a creature I control. There are clear synergies that work with this card, especially with rebound. I felt the need to add Ephemerate because it acts as removal protection, as well.

    Jeweled Lotus: Three words; turn one Najeela. Even if I don’t have Jeweled Lotus in my opening hand, it still maintains its value simply because it makes Najeela cheaper. For me, this is more insurance that Najeela can be online.

    Lotus Petal: This free mana artifact can enable explosive starts. Unlike the mana dorks, Lotus Petal is useful for ramping immediately.

    Eladamri's Call and Worldly Tutor: An instant speed creature tutor.

    Eldritch Evolution: This is basically a one shot Birthing Pod. However, I can search for 2+the mana cost or less, which really adds to the flexibility of the deck.

    Enlightened Tutor: All of the artifacts and enchantments are pieces I’d like to see every game. This card lets me fetch them.

    Mystical Tutor: This enables more consistency by tutoring any instant or sorcery I need.

    Stony Silence: Besides treasure tokens and a few ramp pieces, this essentially locks out artifacts and doesn’t affect me at all.

    Sol Ring: mana for . Let’s move on, shall we?

    Wild Growth: Essentially a non-creature Elvish Mystic. Wild Growth can refund its mana cost immediately depending on the board state.

    Utopia Sprawl: This is another Turn 1 ramp piece. This is more strict than Wild Growth, as it needs a forest, but it is still vital for playing Najeela Turn 2.

    5.9.2023 - Aftermath Edition - Gotta Go Fast

    Here’s the thing. I don’t know if Samut, Vizier of Naktamun is good, but it seems great. Between Najeela, Winota, Adeline, and Halana and Alena, this deck has plenty of haste and enters the battlefield tapped triggers. Samut is also a warrior, which will trigger Najeela. With a good body with first strike, vigilance, and haste, Samut just seems dumb to me. Reidane, God of the Worthy   is still good, but Samut, being a multicolor human warrior, just fits better.


    4.11.2023 - March of the Machine - Just Add Edition

    Wow, these two are just straight upgrades. Yes, Thalia and Frog cost more, but it provides so much value. There is almost no reason to play Linvala, Keeper of Silence if you are playing .


    3.14.2023

    With all the colors available, Loran of the Third Path doesn’t cut it. I rather have a removal piece, like Abrupt Decay, that is instant speed and triggers General Ferrous Rokiric. For March of the Machines, Thalia and The Gitrog Monster is replacing Thalia, Heretic Cathar and Drana and Linvala is replacing Linvala, Keeper of Silence.


    11.22.2022

    Loran of the Third Path is a legendary human Reclamation Sage. The land change is due to availability.


    9.27.2022: More Gold cards, more tempo, and less hatebears

    I’m having to much fun with the combination of General Ferrous Rokiric and Jodah, the Unifier so I added more support. Fire Covenant is good interaction, dealing with low toughness creatures and mana dorks for some life. Dennick, Pious Apprentice   provides lifelink and stops others from using their graveyards. An Offer You Can't Refuse and Ertai Resurrected provides more interaction. Tymna the Weaver regains her place because she is a multicolored legendary human that draws cards. I’ve found myself removing Eternal Witness in faster decks. Archon of Emeria is good, but is out for me. Archon of Emeria’s Rule of Law effect wants to slow the game for everyone, which is a plan I’m moving away from. Thalia, Heretic Cathar is one-side and has the Blind Obedience-effect that I want. Adriana, Captain of the Guard is a card I’ve been wanting to use, but isn’t strong enough ini compared to Ertai Resurrected. Because I’m playing 5 colors, Spellseeker isn’t needed as much.Adriana, Captain of the Guard


    9.9.2022: Slightly Afraid of Torpor Orb Again - Dominaria United Update.

    Long story short; I really want to play General Ferrous Rokiric. This busted piece of card board is from Modern Horizons 2 and I’ve had my eye on it ever since it was released. Between the protection, low mana cost, and 4/4 golem production, General Ferrous Rokiric is a great addition to any aggressive deck. However, I had to make some modifications to enable GFR. Previously, most of the deck consisted of cards that were monocolored. This change can slow down my pressure due to additional colors required. The good thing is that this isn’t CEDH so my deck was as efficient as possible anyways. As well, I wanted to lean heavier into the legendary human aspect with the release of Jodah, the Unifier. If you’ve ever played with or against this card, Jodah quickly makes creatures huge and creates additional value when casting legendary spells. Notably, Jodah and GFR work great together as most of the legendary spells in this deck are multicolored. Between the cascade and the golems, things get out of control quickly. To support these two cards, I added some strong multicolor legendary humans. March of Swirling Mist is good for board wipe protection and removing blockers. Worldly Tutor replaced both Recruiter of the Guard and Imperial Recruiter. Both of these cards are great and fit on theme with what the deck is doing. However, neither of them grab Winota, Joiner of Forces and only one of them grabs Derevi, Empyrial Tactician. Worldly Tutor, on the other hand, grabs any creature and can be a combo piece for both Winota and Jodah. Alesha and Karmic Guide was removed because they become less relevant as the deck continuous to get faster and faster.


    4.18.2022

    With the new Set Streets of New Capenna, I’m trimming the fat within this deck. I’m going to be real with you all. If Najeela or Wintoa are on the field, I just want to make sure that they stick. Thus, I added more counterspells, removal, and a stax piece in Stony Silence. Silence replaced Flamescroll Celebrant   because is better than and it doesn’t exile itself. Professional Face-Breaker is in over Tymna the Weaver for experimental reasons. Face-Breaker provides treasure tokens, a form of Reckless Impulse card draw, and is a warrior. I think Endless Detour is just a very versatile card that warrants play. If I add either in hand, I would be way more pleased to see Endless Detour over Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate


    2.16.2022

    Boseiju, Who Endures is a silly card. Unless your opponents are playing Stifle-effects, Boseiju acts as uncounterable removal for artifacts, enchantments, and non-basic lands. Though this ramps up an opponent, I enjoy the flexibility of Boseiju. Sorry, Nature's Claim. I do want to shout out to Isshin, Two Heavens as One. Isshin doubles up Najeela, Winona, and other creature’s attack triggers. Isshin could add significant pressure to the board, supporting other cards. However, Isshin has the same problem as Panharmonicon. Isshin is great when things are good. However, Isshin does nothing on its own. Isshin is also a Samurai and not a Warrior, which doesn’t help. For me, Isshin is a maybe.


    12.13.2021

    What a sad day! I decided to fully cut the combo from this deck and added more humans. I found that with Najeela and Winota, there was no end for the pocket Kiki-jiki finisher. Those two cards end games by themselves, let alone together.


    10.19.2021

    I think that Crimson Vow was a very good set; just not for this deck. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben has always been on the “to include” list and now I’m putting her in. I want to slow down the opponents while applying pressure with my creatures. I also add Adeline, Resplendent Cathar to support the aggression plan. Yes, she is at the slot with Najeela, but she plays a role as secondary token generator. Of all my counterspells, Narset's Reversal is my least favorite. The pain comes from holding up and it plays more as a combo piece than a reliable counter. I want more pressure so Thalia's Lieutenant is in.


    10.19.2021

    This is a massive update for this deck. Midnight Hunt was supposed to be a werewolf set, but it gave so many good humans to add to the deck. I’ve decided to remove unnecessary combo pieces and to lean more on Winota, Joiner of Forces. Depending on the next set, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and friends might get cut. Cathar Commando is a straight upgrade for this deck from Knight of Autumn. Cathar comes out a turn earlier, has a better body most of the time, and has flash all for essentially a cheaper cost. Katilda, Dawnhart Prime feels like an auto-include for any human deck that can play it. Charming Prince isn’t bad, but it is quite replaceable. Malevolent Hermit   is one of the best cards in this set, providing a counterspell on one side and advantage in counterspell wars on the other. Fiend Hunter is an unnecessary combo piece, at this point. I rather have Reidane, God of the Worthy  , a flying hatebear, than another combo piece. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is swapped for Kamahl, Heart of Krosa because it can be flipped with Winota and the trample it provides.


    9.13.2021

    Without Birthing Pod and my very bias lean towards Restoration Angel, there is no reason to run Guardian. However, I’ve grown to appreciate the protection and utility that Ephemerate provides. Also, twice is less than . I have my eye on Charming Prince as the next cut.

    8.27.2021

    This ban was unnecessary, but whatever. Instead of Notion Thief, I’ll put in more protection for Najeela. Also, Grim Hireling gives ramp and can go infinite with Najeela and three opponents with no blockers. It feels like a crime to cut Birthing Pod. At this point, Vannifar is good enough and I'll just protect her if I plan on comboing off.


    6.21.2021

    These are two cards I’ve wanted to add for a long time, but had no clue what to cut for them. Bloom Tender is a great two drop, but I prefer the utility provided by Charming Prince. Second, Bloom Tender is heavily outclassed by Dockside Extortionist in almost every way. reveilark was a redundant combo piece and not needed. Unfortunately, Reveilark became the card I groaned when I drew it. It is bad early and requires setup for what it does.


    6.5.2021 Modern Horizons 2

    There are so many good cards that came out with this set. However, the one drop cards really shine. If Noble Hierarch is one of the best dorks in this deck, then Ignoble Hierarch deserves a spot. I enjoy the fact that Ignoble creates both and , which are harder to produce. Ignoble is a straight upgrade to Elvish Mystic. Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is just a mana dork. Yes, Ragavan has to connect to create value. However, that value is great. Ragavan’s mana production doesn’t have to be spent in the same turn, unlike traditional dorks. Also, exiling an opponent’s top deck is a nice upside as well. Viscera Seer is out because it is an unnecessary combo piece. Flusterstorm over Arcane Denial because most of the cards I’m counterspelling are either instants or sorceries.


    4.24.2021 Strixhaven/Commander 2021

    My very first MTG deck was a sixty card Boros aggro deck. I played it 1 vs 1 and multiplayer and had a blast with it. However, Boros has been very weak for many years in EDH. However, the Lorehold cards in this set brings me back to those days. Thus, new aggressive cards for my aggressive combo/tempo deck. Elite Spellbinder, Flamescroll Celebrant  , and Blade Historian have multiple things that I want. They are all good cards, are all Humans (looking at you, Winota, Joiner of Forces), and are fetchable with Recruiter of the Guard/Imperial Recruiter. Grim Flayer was ok, but not as good as Elite Spellbinder. I have a masterpiece Sword of Feast and Famine so that was just a convenient paper flex. Also, it was the weakest of the combo pieces for Najeela. Derevi is best due to accessibility and Druids' Repository doesn’t have an equipment cost. Fierce Guardianship is just a free counterspell most of the time. Brainstorm was better for me when I was more dependent on my combo pieces being in the deck. Thus, Rhystic Study is in over Brainstorm. Viscera Seer, without Flash Hulk, is just worse than Goblin Bombardment. Mystical Tutor was added because it should have been in the deck in the first place. Green Sun's Zenith is currently the weakest of the tutors, especially with less and less green creatures in the deck.


    3.10.2021

    Archon of Emeria should have been in the deck as soon as it was spoiled. My resources are spent on holding up interaction and activating abilities, not playing multiple spells per turn. With this adjustment, I don’t mind putting Opposition Agent in place of Aven Mindcensor. Opposition Agent is better at discouraging tutoring and is a human. To make room for these additions, Saffi Erikadottor and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces. Saffi is a redundant combo piece that I rarely want to see outside of coming off. She is a relic from when this deck was and it is time for her to go. I’m kinda salty cause Sakashima was just put into the deck. Yes, Sakashima is capable of doing some crazy things. Like Panharmonicon, Sakashima is a win more card and these types of cards are primed for the chopping block.


    1.16.20201

    Tymna the Weaver draws cards way more consistently than Subira. I like Subira, but Tymna is just too strong. Also, the option of two Tymnas because Sakashima of a Thousand Faces is too good to pass up. Hullbreacher is included over Faeburrow Elder due the deck becoming faster and leaning more on the power of Najeela. Breaching Hippocamp is a combo piece that is no longer needed. Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath is stupid strong. However, Uro is better for games that go longer, which is the exact opposite of what this deck is trying to do. Thus, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite takes Uro’s place as my big beater. I frequently review my comments and I keep going back to SynergyBuild's observations about Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon. Though it hasn’t been an issue, I always like to secure my bases. Plains replaces Forbidden Orchard.


    12.5.2020

    Commander Legends is a silly set that provides plenty of opportunities to modify the deck. Because of the power of this set, I made the following changes. Don’t get it twisted; I think all of these cards are viable and fun to play with in the deck. However, speed and explosiveness has become a priority for me. Per example, Coiling Oracle has put in plenty of work over multiple games. However, Dockside Extortionist is just a better ramp card. Granted, it has always been the premier two drop and I caved into playing it. Diabolic Intent gets what I need faster than Sidisi. Sun Titan is great and will continue to be one of the best cards in the game. Sakashima of a Thousand Faces is just a better clone and isn’t solely used as a combo piece like Body Double. I’ll explain more of my thoughts above in the primer. Jeweled Lotus is an auto-include in a Najeela deck.


    9.16.2020

    Man, this hurts. I think Thought-Knot Seer is a great card, especially in EDH. However, I attempt to make this deck faster with each release. Finally, it has come to a point where creature that doesn’t combo or protect my combos has to be cut. Same can be said about Drown in the Loch. Drown in the Loch is a great card. However, I don’t really need it and black mana can be tight sometimes. Unfortunately, I have been removing pet cards as the speed and consistency of the deck increases. Wood Elves are good if I am behind and need land fixing. However, Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath and Coiling Oracle are preferred land fixers during all stages of the game. Wild Growth is in over Wood Elve because of mana fixing and enabling a turn two Najeela.


    06.16.2020

    Some of these changes better enable a turn two Najeela. Paradise Druid is too slow and my more expensive mana dorks do a better job. For real, I've been planning on adding Renegade Rallier for a long time now. Railer, with Corridor Monitor, adds another combo line for both Birthing Pod lines. Also, I can now combo with Winota as long as Goblin Bombardment is on the field.


    04.22.2020

    Flash was banned, rightfully so. The ability to win the game at any point in time with was too strong. Thus, I’m removing the Flash package from the deck. Drown in the Loch and Counterspell will be filling the void, providing more interaction and protection. Dovin's Veto replaces Negate because it is better and having and is rarely an issue. Bayou is going into a different deck, thus replaced by an Island.


    04.13.2020

    Winota, Joiner of Forces is the perfect companion to Najeela. She is a warrior and increases the board state by flipping cards off the top of the deck. Winota requires the deck to have humans but the deck leaned that way anyways. Another thing that is great about this combination is that Najeela’s tokens trigger Wintoa.


    03.12.2020

    Here’s the thing about Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath: he’s really silly at every point in the game. I had to find a slot for him. Thus, Tymna the Weaver is now out of the deck. Yes, Tymna has the potential to draw three cards per combat. However, my meta plays plenty of creature based decks, which decreases Tymna usefulness. The last few times I played, Tymna either sat there looking sad or drew one card. I want a more reliable card draw. If you play in a meta that contains more spell-slinger decks, then by all means keep Tymna in. Add Uro also influenced my decision to remove Lotus Cobra and add Paradise Druid. With a low land count, Lotus Cobra’s explosiveness is limited. Noxious Revival is out and Neoform is in because I’ve never used Noxious Revival and another Birthing Pod effect adds to consistency. Yarok, the Desecrated is in because I miss having Panharmonicon.


    1.9.2020

    These changes were bound to happen. Venser, Shaper Savant worked best for me when the deck's goal was to create infinite mana. Because I have moved into a different direction with my win condition, Venser became a less useful, overcosted counter. Yes, he can bounce spells, but I would rather hard counter or destroy them instead. Eldrazi Displacer was a pet card and infinite mana combo piece. Again, his value dropped significantly once I added the Protean Hulk package. On Eldrazi Displacer’s best days, he would bounce once, maybe twice. At this point, there are better options for repeatable recursion. Finally, Splinter Twin just doesn’t fit. is clunky because it is off primary colors, four mana, and is an less-than-ideal tutor target. Honestly, I have never won a game off of Splinter Twin. Thus, it is better to add more protection and ramp for the cards that matter.


    4.22.19

    Knight of Autumn is just a really good card. For the splash, this is just an upgrade of Reclamation Sage. Though I like the idea of Apprentice Necromancer, this card has never worked out for me, thus the change to good, old Reanimate. Now, the Mulldrifter to Brainstorm switch just hurts the Timmy in me, as it is a fun card to bounce. However, Brainstorm allows me to shuffle combo pieces back into my deck or just filters less valuable cards. Brainstorm is just better, especially if I’m evaluating it on a one time use.


    3.16.19

    Prime Speaker Vannifar is another Birthing Pod and Breaching Hippocampus enables the combo. Nuff’ said, people.


    1/15/2019


    6/1/2018

    I was never attached to Ramos in the first place. He is a 6cmc artifact creatures that is clunky, in my opinion. However, Najeela comes down as early as turn 2, provides pressure, and can combo off. Druid’s Repository and Derevi were added for combo support. Prime Speaker Zegana is great but has always been on the chopping block for me. I always hated drawing PSZ because of the awkward mana requirements. Peregrine Drake felt so pointless outside of the combo, which is fine. I rarely combo with infinite mana. It is definitely the slowest route in this deck so I just cut it entirely.


    5/21/2018

    This update hurt the Timmy inside of me. I had to come to the conclusion that Purphoros and Panharmonicon were just win more cards. Purphoros' original purpose was to combat pillowfort decks. It turns out that Goblin Bombardment is just better in almost every case. Also, I haven't played against a pillowfort deck in who knows how long. Panharmonicon sometimes felt very clunky and would be removed most of the time. I would rather have the card draw of Tymna. With Tymna, I can utilize my combat step to refill my hand. Grand Abolisher was replaced by Shalai because I am afraid of Swords to Plowshare on Kiki-jiki rather than a counter. Also, I tend to combo off on other opponent's turns anyways. However, Shalia is a meta call. Your experience may not be the same as mine.



    Please Ban Torpor Orb | *Primer*

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 151 | 69 COMMENTS | 33264 VIEWS | IN 52 FOLDERS




    Gonna Need A Bigger Playmat | *Primer*

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 145 | 45 COMMENTS | 19266 VIEWS | IN 55 FOLDERS




    Everybody in the Club Gettin' Keywords

    Commander / EDH* GregariousG

    SCORE: 54 | 17 COMMENTS | 4386 VIEWS | IN 17 FOLDERS




    Jinnie Got the Truck Jewels | *Primer*

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 20 | 4 COMMENTS | 2267 VIEWS | IN 10 FOLDERS




    You Wouldn't Download A Spell | *Primer*

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 43 | 21 COMMENTS | 4345 VIEWS | IN 14 FOLDERS


    White:

    Blue:


    Military General of the Deep - Tentacle Tempo

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 6 | 2 COMMENTS | 624 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS



    Black:

    Red:

    Green:

    Colorless:

    Azorius:

    Dimir:


    Kels and her Dirty Tactics

    Commander / EDH* GregariousG

    SCORE: 2 | 190 VIEWS | IN 2 FOLDERS


    Rakdos:

    Gruul:

    deck-large:is-this-tron-3/?cb=1663730635

    Selesnya:


    Jasmine Hates Condiments

    Commander / EDH* GregariousG

    SCORE: 1 | 37 VIEWS | IN 2 FOLDERS


    Orzhov:

    Izzet:

    Golgarii:


    Old Rutstein's SuperValue Sweep

    Commander / EDH* GregariousG

    SCORE: 2 | 424 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER


    Boros:


    Glittering Gold, Trinkets, and Relics

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 5 | 1 COMMENT | 288 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER


    Simic:


    You Wouldn't Download A Spell | *Primer*

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 43 | 21 COMMENTS | 4345 VIEWS | IN 14 FOLDERS




    I Have a Minor in Cryptozoology

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 3 | 248 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS


    Bant:

    Esper:

    Grixis:

    Jund:

    Naya:


    Gonna Need A Bigger Playmat | *Primer*

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 145 | 45 COMMENTS | 19266 VIEWS | IN 55 FOLDERS




    Jinnie Got the Truck Jewels | *Primer*

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 20 | 4 COMMENTS | 2267 VIEWS | IN 10 FOLDERS




    The Saga of Turning Sideways

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 3 | 368 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS


    Abzan:


    Everybody in the Club Gettin' Keywords

    Commander / EDH* GregariousG

    SCORE: 54 | 17 COMMENTS | 4386 VIEWS | IN 17 FOLDERS



    Jeskai:

    *Retired*


    Transcendent Perfection

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 75 | 48 COMMENTS | 25633 VIEWS | IN 45 FOLDERS


    *Retired*

    Sultai:

    *Retired*


    Three Baneful Queens

    Commander / EDH* GregariousG

    SCORE: 9 | 4 COMMENTS | 3443 VIEWS | IN 8 FOLDERS


    *Retired*

    Mardu:

    Temur:

    Artifice(Sans-Green):

    *Retired*


    Akiri and Silas’ House of Exotic Wares

    Commander / EDH* GregariousG

    SCORE: 25 | 7 COMMENTS | 4209 VIEWS | IN 9 FOLDERS


    Chaos (Sans-White):

    Aggression (Sans-Blue):

    Altruism (Sans-Black):

    Growth (Sans-Red):

    Prismatic


    Please Ban Torpor Orb | *Primer*

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 151 | 69 COMMENTS | 33264 VIEWS | IN 52 FOLDERS




    SimCity: Metropolis

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 3 | 346 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER



    *Retired*


    Genesis Hymn - Jeskai Alarm | *Primer*

    Commander / EDH GregariousG

    SCORE: 14 | 1 COMMENT | 3188 VIEWS | IN 7 FOLDERS


    *Retired*

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    Casual

    95% Competitive

    Revision 84 See all

    (8 months ago)

    +1 Aragorn, the Uniter main
    -1 Ertai Resurrected main
    Top Ranked
    Date added 8 years
    Last updated 8 months
    Legality

    This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

    Rarity (main - side)

    13 - 1 Mythic Rares

    67 - 1 Rares

    9 - 0 Uncommons

    8 - 0 Commons

    Cards 100
    Avg. CMC 2.19
    Tokens Bird 2/2 U, Clue, Golem 4/4 RW, Human 1/1 W, Human Soldier 1/1 W, Treasure, Warrior 1/1 W
    Folders EDH I'm Playing, EDH decks, STOLEN!!!, Inf Decks, Decks I Like, Cool Deck Ideas - EDH, Need to playtest, considered decks, 121196, EDH
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