<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jodah, the Unifier|sld|1932" href="#" target="_blank">Spongebob Squarepants</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://caleb-meurer.squarespace.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caleb Meurer</a></em></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hello everyone! I’m Levi from the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5n27ku41qleRMM7CKrWOh3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thought Vessel Show</a>, and this is </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ten Under Twenty</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> where we take a deep dive on a single commander and find those cards that are simply not getting the respect they deserve. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week we're looking at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jodah, the Unifier|sld|1932" href="#" target="_blank">Spongebob Squarepants</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or, probably more commonly known as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jodah, the Unifier" href="#" target="_blank">Jodah, the Unifier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In order to qualify for this list, the card has to appear in less than 20% of decks here on EDHREC. This is a buffet-style list, meaning you can take whatever you like and leave whatever you don't. My goal here is to simply shine some light on some great cards that deserve some love. Let’s look at SpongeBob first before jumping into the list.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jodah, the Unifier|sld|1932"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SpongeBob might be the closest commander we have currently to the universally good WUBRG commander ever since Golos was banned. Having both a pump effect and an upgraded cascade effect out of the command zone will both bring a lot of power and attention to the table. There's rarely a game in which a SpongeBob deck is played where it is not the center of attention in non-cEDH pods. The deck usually wants to run the best legendary creatures possible in order to take advantage of the free casting and use the buffed attack power to close out the game. With this strategy in mind, let’s start our list with number ten.</span></p>
<h2>10) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kolvori, God of Kinship" href="#" target="_blank">Kolvori, God of Kinship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (14%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kolvori, God of Kinship"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Starting out, we have a pretty underrated card in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kolvori, God of Kinship" href="#" target="_blank">Kolvori, God of Kinship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In a deck that's legend-focused, being able to choose between a two mana value mana rock or a 6/6 vigilant legendary creature that can also provide card advantage is a phenomenal place to be. Attacking, blocking, ramping, or gaining card advantage, there really isn’t a single point in the game in which this would be a dead card thanks to that versatility. The fact that it's only showing up in fourteen percent of SpongeBob decks on EDHREC is criminal!</span></p>
<h2>9) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (14%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the numbers for Ragavan might be a bit lower due to its price, this is still one of my favorite includes in this deck. Most of the time, when you cast Ragavan, it can be easy to block and trade off before generating Treasure and card advantage since this is a mere 2/1 Monkey. With SpongeBob in play, Ragavan becomes significantly stronger and will survive chump blocks. The extra mana from the Treasures will allow for multiple legends to be cast in the same turn or even permit SpongeBob to be cast earlier if Ragavan is played in the early game. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since it's a lower mana value legend, it will also find its way onto the field pretty consistently through SpongeBob’s ability since it can still be cast off of two- and three-mana legends.</span></p>
<h2>8) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn&#039;s Temporal Sundering" href="#" target="_blank">Karn&#039;s Temporal Sundering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (14%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karn&#039;s Temporal Sundering"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SpongeBob specifically cares about legendary spells, not legendary creatures. Though extra turns are sometimes seen as taboo in Commander, this is an excellent finisher. For starters, you'll be able to bounce a nonland permanent an opponent controls back to their hand. This could be a protection piece like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or possibly that one pesky deathtouching blocker that's in the way. It's also a six mana legendary spell, so it'll find a five-mana or less legend to come right into play. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That extra turn will also bring extra cards, mana, and most importantly, an extra combat step. It’s not too far-fetched to believe that an extra turn in SpongeBob can be enough to close out the game. Fourteen percent of decks using this card is way too low.</span></p>
<h2>7) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basim Ibn Ishaq" href="#" target="_blank">Basim Ibn Ishaq</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (14%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Basim Ibn Ishaq"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This card is flying under the radar like many other cards from the <em>Assassin’s Creed</em> set. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basim Ibn Ishaq" href="#" target="_blank">Basim Ibn Ishaq</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another phenomenal low mana value legend to catch the four- and three-mana legends that provides card advantage once per turn. It also grows with the +1/+1 counters and becomes unblockable to get through any potential blockers. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For under $5, this should be an auto-include in these decks.</span></p>
<h2>6) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aurelia, the Warleader" href="#" target="_blank">Aurelia, the Warleader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (9%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aurelia, the Warleader"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As I mentioned with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karn’s Temporal Sundering" href="#" target="_blank">Karn’s Temporal Sundering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the level of damage this deck can produce can lead to victory by simply adding one more turn of combat. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aurelia, the Warleader" href="#" target="_blank">Aurelia, the Warleader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> provides that extra push. It's an added bonus that the card comes with haste, so you can start attacking for flying damage right away. There's even a combo that this deck can run by including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brago, King Eternal" href="#" target="_blank">Brago, King Eternal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for infinite combat steps, if one were inclined to use it. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a top-end finisher, we could do a lot worse.</span></p>
<h2>5) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (7%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Akroma&#039;s Will"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking of Angel-related powers, the next card on the list is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which is played in only 7% of SpongeBob decks here on EDHREC. It's strange that a card can be used defensively and as a finisher at the same time. The only thing that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Akroma&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Akroma&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">doesn’t provide is stat modification, which SpongeBob has in droves. It's honestly a perfect match. </span></p>
<h2>4) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Minsc &amp; Boo, Timeless Heroes" href="#" target="_blank">Minsc &amp; Boo, Timeless Heroes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (7%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Minsc &amp; Boo, Timeless Heroes"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is one that a lot of players don’t think about since it’s a planeswalker, and most planeswalkers that are being played in SpongeBob are in a dedicated Superfriends deck. Minsc, of course, brings along <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boo" href="#" target="_blank">Boo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which normally can be pumped up with the first loyalty ability or sacrificed to spread around damage and draw cards. In a deck that's pumping the stats of all legendary creatures, that's going to push out a lot of damage and be a lot of cards drawn. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The cherry on top: the beginning of the next upkeep will bring Boo back to be used in combat or for a sacrifice again.</span></p>
<h2>3) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar" href="#" target="_blank">Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (6.8%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Next we have another card from the <em>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</em> universe, and now in the SpongeBob universe as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar|sld|1928" href="#" target="_blank">Squidward, Sarcastic Snob</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grazilaxx</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is sneaky good in SpongeBob as it puts opponents in a lose-lose situation. Either players allow themselves to get hit by legendary creatures and SpongeBob gets to draw cards, or they can block and Grazilaxx</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> allows the SpongeBob player to put the card back into hand, which allows them to be recast and trigger SpongeBob again, adding even more legendary creatures to the battlefield. It also makes it nearly impossible to lose an attacking creature in combat.</span></p>
<h2>2) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invasion of Fiora" href="#" target="_blank">Invasion of Fiora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (6.2%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invasion of Fiora"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's always a good idea to include a couple of one-sided board wipes. This is especially true for SpongeBob, since it would be able to clear out most blockers that are in the way. Since it's a battle, it wouldn’t be very difficult to attack and take out the battle to get <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marchesa, Resolute Monarch" href="#" target="_blank">Marchesa, Resolute Monarch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">into play for some extra combat damage and card draw.</span></p>
<h2>1) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (4.1%)</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And finally, at the top of our list, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> It almost feels like cheating to play this in</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> SpongeBob since their stats are drastically increased, so SpongeBob can virtually bring back any creature in the graveyard right away. The +1/+1 counters are also a nice touch. Ultimately, this card deserves a lot more inclusion in SpongeBob decks than 4.1%.</span></p>
<h2>Overplayed Cards With SpongeBob</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When looking to add some, if not all, of these legendary cards to your SpongeBob deck, it can be intimidating to figure out what to cut from your deck. Though I can't make that decision for you, I do have some suggestions of some cards that are popular for SpongeBob, showing up in about 50% of eligible decks or more on EDHREC, that may not be worth the hype that they are getting. These are my cut candidates. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chromatic Lantern"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Annie Joins Up"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mox Amber"></div></div>
<p><b>1) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chromatic Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Chromatic Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (60%)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> – I get this is a five-color deck that legitimately needs to have all five colors available as soon as possible, but with the amount of dual lands that we're getting in sets these days, I don’t think color fixing is as big of an issue as it once was. I would much rather use my three mana value slot in the deck toward <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relic of Legends" href="#" target="_blank">Relic of Legends</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>,</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> which is going to be far more impactful to the overall strategy of the deck.</span></p>
<p><b>2) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Annie Joins Up" href="#" target="_blank">Annie Joins Up</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (50%)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> – This is a good card in SpongeBob, no doubt about it. Coming in and dealing five damage to a target and then doubling SpongeBob triggers moving forward is great. I don’t like that the card itself is legendary, because in a lot of games with SpongeBob, this is either going to come in instead of a legendary creature that will boost the team, or it will be cast on the turn and it brings along a three mana or less legendary creature. Yes, it will add more legends to the board, but I would rather cast or flip into cards that will help me push for the win rather than a value engine. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are some decks that would absolutely want this, like if you were using a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Najeela, The Blade-Blossom" href="#" target="_blank">Najeela, The Blade-Blossom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">combo and you wanted to increase the rate of using SpongeBob’s ability on three mana or less cards, then this would be a great include. I would just suggest building your deck, recognizing the play patterns, and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">then</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> adding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Annie Joins Up" href="#" target="_blank">Annie Joins Up</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">into the 99.</span></p>
<p><b>Bonus Card – <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mox Amber" href="#" target="_blank">Mox Amber</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (29%)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> – Though it doesn’t quite make the list for a cut candidate since it shows up in only 30% of SpongeBob decks, I still wanted to discuss this card and why it may not be a good inclusion for SpongeBob in general. When SpongeBob triggers off of a legendary cast, it's going to take the next legendary spell in the order. While you still would be able to get this card off of casting a one-mana legend like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, it would also take up that legendary spell off of a bigger cast as well. And since it's not a creature, it wouldn’t increase the power of the rest of the legends either. It just isn’t worth the hassle most of the time in this deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">SpongeBob is like a superhero in this format. It’s an incredibly powerful card, but it will attract a lot of attention at the same time. Most SpongeBob players know this and are more than willing to accept the challenge. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I hope you find some or all of these cards helpful for your current or future SpongeBob builds. If you have a commander you'd like to see on </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ten Under Twenty</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, send us an email at thoughtvesselshow@gmail.com. Until next time, happy brewing.</span></p>


Ten Underplayed Cards for SpongeBob Squarepants (AKA Jodah, the Unifier)

 <p style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brago, King Eternal" href="#" target="_blank">Brago, King Eternal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://www.karlaortizart.com/">Karla Ortiz</a></p> <p>Hello Everyone! I’m Levi from the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5n27ku41qleRMM7CKrWOh3">Thought Vessel Show</a>, and today I am very excited to debut a new series here at EDHREC called <em>Ten Under Twenty</em>, where we take a deep dive on a single commander and find those cards that are simply not getting the respect they deserve.</p> <p>You may find similarities between this series and the “Challenge the Stats” segment on EDHRECCast. The main difference is we are looking for several hidden gems for only one commander at a time. This week, we are looking at one of my favorite commanders of all time, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brago, King Eternal" href="#" target="_blank">Brago, King Eternal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p> <p>In order to qualify for this list, the card has to appear in less than 20% of decks here on EDHREC. This is a buffet-style list, meaning you can take whatever you like and leave whatever you don't.</p> <p>My goal here is to simply shine some light on some great cards that deserve some love. Let’s jump right in!</p> <h3>10.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delney, Streetwise Lookout" href="#" target="_blank">Delney, Streetwise Lookout</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (11%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Delney, Streetwise Lookout"></div></div> <p>Starting out our list is an absolute beast of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect in Delney, Streetwise Lookout. For starters, Delney’s first ability ensures that Brago cannot be blocked by creatures with power 3 or greater, which makes the chances of Brago being able to connect for damage almost a guarantee.</p> <p>Speaking of that trigger, the Brago blink effect is also copied, meaning you can flicker every nonland permanent you control twice per turn. And those creatures coming into play with power two or less will also have their triggered abilities doubled.</p> <p>Essentially, this means that one <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wall of Omens" href="#" target="_blank">Wall of Omens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will draw four cards per turn. That’s an incredible amount of value.</p> <h3>9.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mightstone and Weakstone" href="#" target="_blank">The Mightstone and Weakstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (11%) </h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Mightstone and Weakstone"></div></div> <p>Being that this is the second half of the melded combination, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Planeswalker" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Planeswalker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mightstone and Weakstone" href="#" target="_blank">The Mightstone and Weakstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> goes under the radar. This card can do plenty on its own without its other half, being repeatable ramp, card draw, and spot removal at the same time.</p> <p>In decks that are taking advantage of the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strionic Resonator" href="#" target="_blank">Strionic Resonator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> infinite combo, the mana can be used to activate the artifact and draw your entire deck at the same time.</p> <h3>8.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (11%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Archmage"></div></div> <p>In a deck like this, keeping Brago safe from removal is essential. If you can do that with the right pieces on board, you can take complete control of the game. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great protective tool.</p> <p>When <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is sacrificed, it comes back into play with a -1/-1 counter. When you blink it with Brago, that ability resets, and you can counter something else and keep <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> around. It becomes an extremely effective removal engine.</p> <h3>7.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Hearth and Home" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Hearth and Home</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (10%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sword of Hearth and Home"></div></div> <p> This one is pretty simple compared to the rest of the list. Being able to protect Brago from removal spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can function like hexproof.</p> <p>Blink decks are also mana-hungry, so being able to get that extra land per turn can really add up if the game runs longer. Also, never underestimate being able to blink your best payoff one extra time per turn. Having a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Agent of Treachery" href="#" target="_blank">Agent of Treachery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to blink in play could make all the difference.</p> <h3>6.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blessed Sanctuary" href="#" target="_blank">Blessed Sanctuary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (7%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blessed Sanctuary"></div></div> <p>This one is more for the bracket two or bracket three style of lists. One of the biggest weaknesses of a blink-style deck is the lack of raw power to use in combat.</p> <p>If Brago were to come across a mono-green stompy deck that had the capability to prevent Brago from connecting with combat damage, this would be a tough spot to work from. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blessed Sanctuary" href="#" target="_blank">Blessed Sanctuary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would protect against damage-based board wipes like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and also provide a very steady flow of attackers or blockers in the 2/2 Unicorns it makes every time a nontoken creature enters. Off of a Brago trigger, that number could easily be 5–10 Unicorns without a lot of difficulty.</p> <h3>5.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elspeth Conquers Death" href="#" target="_blank">Elspeth Conquers Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (7%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elspeth Conquers Death"></div></div> <p>Sagas are a really neat inclusion in a Brago deck since Brago has the capability of blinking them and resetting their lore counters to keep them around. On chapter one, you get a very versatile removal spell for any big threats.</p> <p>When it gets to chapter two, you can consistently slow things down for your opponents by making spells cost two more mana. By chapter three, if you want to let it move toward chapter three, you can bring back your best creature or planeswalker from the graveyard to use again.</p> <h3>4.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parting Gust" href="#" target="_blank">Parting Gust</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (6%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Parting Gust"></div></div> <p>It’s important in a blink deck to have removal that isn’t tied to a creature in the event that an opponent plays a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines" href="#" target="_blank">Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can completely shut down our entire strategy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parting Gust" href="#" target="_blank">Parting Gust</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the great ability to either be a removal spell or a single-target blink spell depending on what you need at the moment.</p> <h3>3.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scroll of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Scroll of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (5%) </h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scroll of Fate"></div></div> <p>This card is criminally underplayed. With a Brago trigger on the stack, you can manifest a card into play, which will be blinked and come in on the face-up side. This can allow us to cheat a high mana value card or combo piece without giving opponents the chance to counter the spell.</p> <p>At its floor, it can be used to manifest extra lands. Routinely, we can flash in a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi, Time Raveler" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi, Time Raveler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to prevent players from casting spells on our turns. Since manifest is a more niche mechanic, this card is flying under the radar. Hopefully, that will change.</p> <h3>2.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plagon, Lord of the Beach" href="#" target="_blank">Plagon, Lord of the Beach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (0.88%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plagon, Lord of the Beach"></div></div> <p>For a super sleeper, we have Plagon, Lord of the Beach. Plagon allows us to draw a card for each creature you have that has a toughness greater than power. With Brago in play, this is a minimum of two cards per trigger.</p> <p>Since blink creatures are usually smaller and a good portion of them do, in fact, have greater toughness than power, Plagon can easily draw 5+ cards per turn. In a lesser capacity, you can also pay one mana to have Brago attack for four damage rather than two.</p> <p>1.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Raven’s Warning" href="#" target="_blank">The Raven’s Warning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (0.57%)</p> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Raven’s Warning"></div></div> <p>Our second saga on the list, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Raven’s Warning" href="#" target="_blank">The Raven’s Warning</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is a great card for information. Initially, it will produce a 1/1 flying Bird with some life gain, which when repeated can actually be pretty effective. The second chapter lets you look at each opponent’s hand and draw cards.</p> <p>When playing a deck like this, being able to know the potential threats your opponents are hiding can make you borderline invincible. This card definitely scales with the skill of the pilot, but fair warning: this card does take a lot of time to resolve and can lead to a bit of analysis paralysis.</p> <h2>3 Cards You Don't Always Need for Brago</h2> <p>Now, with all these cards that I am suggesting, it can be intimidating to find cards to cut from the deck to make room. So, in our section, we’ll be looking at some cut candidates.</p> <p>These are good cards, showing up in over 50% of Brago decks here on EDHREC. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it's an undisputed auto-include. Let's start off with a blink staple.</p> <h3>1.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (59%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mulldrifter"></div></div> <p>Ah yes, the flying fish. Drawing two cards per entering the battlefield is indeed a strong ability. If you have a card in hand like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you can actually get around the sacrifice portion of the evoke cost.</p> <p>However, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Mightstone and Weakstone" href="#" target="_blank">The Mightstone and Weakstone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plagon, Lord of the Beach" href="#" target="_blank">Plagon, Lord of the Beach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being on the list, we’re simply able to get more bang for the buck with these cards over <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p> <p>Card advantage isn’t as much of a problem in a deck like Brago that has so many repeatable card advantage engines in the 99, and it’s good to look for cards that can wear multiple hats.</p> <h3>2.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Acid" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Acid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (53%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reality Acid"></div></div> <p>This is a card that I actually used to run in my personal Brago list. Being able to remove something for three mana repeatedly is a very solid effect. Since you can blink this card, the time counters running out really isn’t as big of an issue as it appears to be.</p> <p>It's also nice to have a removal spell that simply says “permanent” instead of “nonland permanent” or something even more restrictive. The downside of this card is that this is a leaves-the-battlefield ability instead of an enters-the-battlefield ability.</p> <p>This means that any type of ETB-doubling cards in the deck do not impact this card at all. Additionally, with a traditional removal ETB ability like on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solitude" href="#" target="_blank">Solitude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this can be used twice in the turn it is cast. You also have to telegraph your next removal target by enchanting it without an effective way of using it again until your next turn.</p> <p>If the enchanted permanent can be removed by sacrificing, for example, then the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Acid" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Acid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is taken off the board without any real ability to stop it from happening. Because of this, I’m more cold on this card than the average Brago player.</p> <h3>3.) <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Flicker" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Flicker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (54%)</h3> <div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghostly Flicker"></div></div> <p>Another staple in blink decks. The main problem with this card is that we simply have access to better cards. For less mana I would want something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for more versatility I want <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parting Gust" href="#" target="_blank">Parting Gust</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and for a better utility, I want <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eerie Interlude" href="#" target="_blank">Eerie Interlude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostway" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at a minimum.</p> <p>In a blink deck that also uses white, I just feel we have better things that we can be doing in the 99 with the exception of using this card as a combo piece to win the game.</p> <p>And there you have it! These are some incredible cards that you might want to consider putting in your Brago, King Eternal deck. If you have a commander that you would like to see in the next <em>Ten Under Twenty</em> article or a card you feel needs some love, leave a comment. Until next time, happy brewing!</p> 

Levi Perry

Levi Perry

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