...This might have been a better topic closer to Christams now that I think about it... lol

Anyways, I hear "magical Christmas land" maybe overused but used to describe a synergy or strategy that takes a significant number of cards or specific cards to actually pull it together and see work. It's also meant to mean that the synergy will only happen rarely, maybe once in a dozen games.

At what point do you decide that a synergy or strategy fits this description? Or do you have a different definition of "Magical Christmas land" in mind?

As a more specific example. I'm building Ashnod the Uncaring who has a neat interaction with Liquimetal Coating and a sac land. Say Evolving Wilds. Since I'm not running many tutors and the Coating is such a specific card I'm considering this to be a synergy that maybe isn't going to come up very much. So I'm limiting it to just a handful of things that are fine without seeing Coating in play.

Think I made about 20 changes, more than I intended before even playing it once. Just cards I already owned though nothing crazy imo. Haven't even finished fishing through my collection at this point for more potential cards to try out in the deck... Who knows what I'll find lol.

I hadn't read Liquimetal Torque very closely... Almost included it thinking I could use it on lands. I'll have to pick up a Liquimetal Coating for that though. Once I do it can double up a few of the sac land effects. Evolving Wilds, Buried Ruin, Ghost Quarter, Myriad Landscape, and Terramorphic Expanse. Don't want to go any deeper on that idea though. It's cool if it all comes together but it takes having the commander and 1 other very specific card plus one of those lands. Without playing some tutor effects going deep on that isn't worthwhile.

A note on Priest of Forgotten Gods if you look at the scryfall/gatherer page you'll see the ability is not seen as a mana ability because it can have targets. So it is possible to double up that ability with Ashnod!

I only quickly perused EDHrec but pretty sure none of the following came up on the pages of the commanders I use them with. Each has done some impressive work at my table. I used sorting by Card Kingdom price on this website to find sub $2.

In Olivia, Crimson Bride I have Shifting Shadow. Since Olivia's attack reanimates Shifting Shadow ends up just giving me free creatures at effectively no cost to me. In a way it actually fuels the deck's plan.

In Ayara, First of Locthwain I have Aetherworks Marvel and Mimic Vat. This deck just loves getting more and more creatures into play. Both of the artifacts assist in doing that over and over again. Sometimes Aetherworks even drops in Plague of Vermin too, a finisher in that deck.

In Mairsil, the Pretender I have Captivating Crew, Chandra, Flamecaller, and Xathrid Gorgon. Seems to be a rare cheap commander to begin with... lol. Xathrid typically turns commanders off, highly effective card against the likes of Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind and Zacama, Primal Calamity. Chandra does an amazing job of filling up my graveyard. Every turn a new hand +1. Captivating Crew lets me "borrow" some pretty sweet attackers and other effects, there are instant versions of this effect but not on a stick to my knowledge. 1 or 2 activations often opens someone up to attacks too.

ooooh, I had just seen a video where someone suggested the Apostles! Their version of them wasn't very good... But this, I'm going to have to entertain the idea. I've already got my Apostles from years ago I'm not currently using.

How's this been performing for you?

Just want to state, it isn't a war crime the first time ;)

Just been perusing through the Ashnod decks as I ordered the precon today and would like to lead it with her. Yours looks good! I did want to mention that on The Gatherer Priest of Forgotten Gods's ability is stated as-

"Because it may have targets, the ability of Priest of Forgotten Gods isn't a mana ability. It uses the stack and can be responded to, even if no targets were chosen."

For this reason Ashnod does copy it. Unless there was some other thing I missed, always possible...

Gotta say on first look I find the reminder text confusing. The "(Sacrificing an artifact for mana to activate an ability doesn't count.)" just reads as very ....obtuse. Wasn't until I read the ruling on Scryfall that it made sense. Here's that-

“Sacrificed to activate it” means that a permanent was sacrificed to pay the ability’s costs. Sacrificing an artifact, such as a Treasure token, to create mana that you used to pay an activation cost doesn’t count.

Gleeock might be worth it to ask a judge just to be totally sure. I'm not the best at finding the rules and such... However, the way I understand it is that you can have your cake and eat it too. My understanding is that after lethal damage is assigned you get to assign the remaining to legal targets pretty much how you wish.

So if blocked by three 2/2 creatures, you assign 2 points to each of them for lethal on each and then assign the remaining 1 point to any of them.

If trample is present you could assign remaining point to 1 creature or the opponent.

If deathtouch is present you assign 1 point as lethal to each creature and could then assign 1 more to each for excess and the remaining 1 to any of them.

If deathtouch and trample are present you could assign 1 to each creature for lethal, 1 to each creature as excess, and 1 to the opponent.

However, I'm not 100% sure that I'm correct. This is just how I think it's suppose to play out given my understanding of what I read in the trample page I linked above.... I think 'Ask A Judge' is still a thing. Maybe I'll get on there to clarify.