Taigam, Ojutai Master - Tragically Taking Turns
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 2 | 5 COMMENTS | 2792 VIEWS
Ikoria & Commander 2020 Update —April 11, 2020
Out:
In:
Fierce Guardianship is a new staple to the format. Free counter magic is always welcomed in cEDH, and this is one of the more powerful spells we have available. I slotted this in over Misdirection as it fits a similar role - a free way to protect Taigam. I think the upside of Misdirection being able to redirect removal to our opponents is heavily outweighed by the potential for Fierce Guardianship to counter a Flash, Jace, Wielder of Mysteries, Ad Nauseam, or other high value spell. I still think Misdirection can be a good meta call if you are getting a lot of targeted removal. The card will remain listed in the possible includes.
A new staple stax piece, Drannith Magistrate is a great option. I have put this card in over Containment Priest, but you should make this decision based on your meta (as always). Personally, I am seeing less Hulk decks in recent times, so Hushbringer seems to be the better of the two anti-Hulk hate bears I was running. Drannith Magistrate may not even be the best option based on the decks you are usually up against. I expect the possible inclusions to grow over time, so most cards will be "retired" to there, and not simply removed from the list.
Additional Notes:
This card slipped my mind when I initially put the deck together. With Taigam out, this stax effect become asymmetrical. This is similar to how Taigam interacts with Dovescape. Ideally we can get Chalice on 2, which I think counters the greatest number of current cEDH win conditions such as Dramatic Reversal, Thassa's Oracle, Flash, or Tainted Pact. Playing Chalice on 1 is also a possibility and is much easier to get out turn 1-2. Either way, I haven't played with the card so I have included it on the maybe board with the intention of trying it out and seeing how it preforms.
Another oversight on my part, Cryptic Command is another way we can bounce our Mystic Sanctuary and overall is just a high quality card. UUU isn't much of an issue for us because we need 3 islands in play to combo off. Cryptic Command also allows us to tap down blockers to close out the game. The card does everything we want and more. I currently have slotted it in over Opt, but I'm not sure if it should be slotted in over one of the other bounce effects. I'll test it out.