<p style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iron Fist, Living Weapon" href="#" target="_blank">Iron Fist, Living Weapon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by: <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CErikas+Perl%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Erikas Perl</a></p>
<p> What does it take to be a Super Hero? If you are a Legendary creature in the new <em>Marvel Super Heroes</em> set, then honestly, not much. Universes Beyond jokes aside, sometimes it takes a bit of evil tactics and some trickery. Those tricks, well, they come right out of the Standard format, and the Hero using them, for us, that is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iron Fist, Living Weapon" href="#" target="_blank">Iron Fist, Living Weapon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Take a look at my build of this deck using one of the most broken cards in the Standard format, paired with some of the strangest cards not often seen in the Commander format.</p>
<h2>Living Weapon, No Germs Allowed</h2>
<p style="text-align: left;">I had a single thought enter my mind when I first laid eyes on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iron Fist, Living Weapon" href="#" target="_blank">Iron Fist, Living Weapon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and that was turning it into its very own win condition. The ability of Iron Fist is similar to that seen in creatures of the past.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zada, Hedron Grinder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syr Carah, the Bold"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anax and Cymede"></div></div>
<p>What intrigues me about Iron Fist and what sets it apart in my mind from similar cards is the scalability of the card. Every point of power put onto Iron Fist is another point of damage that it can do to anything or anyone. As strange as it sounds, the other part that gets my brain juices flowing is the fact that it has a tap ability. If you have played Standard any time since the release of <em>Wilds of Eldraine,</em> you may be familiar with a not-so-nice artifact: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Agatha&#039;s Soul Cauldron" href="#" target="_blank">Agatha&#039;s Soul Cauldron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Agatha&#039;s Soul Cauldron"></div></div>
<p>This was the first card that I thought of when I saw Iron Fist. Finding a creature and throwing it into the soup of the Cauldron not only gives Iron Fist the untap ability but also pumps it up. Now that's a deck. But how to do this in <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>?</p>
<p>If we had other colors, then it would become fairly easy, using cards such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twiddle" href="#" target="_blank">Twiddle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hidden Strings" href="#" target="_blank">Hidden Strings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benefactor&#039;s Draught" href="#" target="_blank">Benefactor&#039;s Draught</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mobilize" href="#" target="_blank">Mobilize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>In mono-red, we have to work a bit harder, however. So let's look at what might be going into the soup to fuel our living weapon.</p>
<h2>Protein</h2>
<p>One of the biggest bottlenecks on this deck is that we need a good amount of mana to do things. Whether that be casting spells to pump up Iron Fist or untapping it before we find a creature to throw into the cauldron.</p>
<p>But what creatures are we looking to throw into the cauldron anyway? Ones that untap "for free," or at extremely low cost. And ones that we can activate multiple times as we try to burn out the table.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Torchling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farmstead Gleaner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pili-Pala"></div></div>
<p>To me, the best creature to get into the cauldron when it comes to the untappers is a forgotten member of a cycle, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torchling" href="#" target="_blank">Torchling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This creature does so much for the strategy of the deck. I was ecstatic when I was reminded of its existence. First and foremost, it has a cheap way to untap itself, which, once in the soup, Iron Fist will get. On top of that, it has a small form of protection with the ability to change the target of a spell, and it can give a small boost to the power of Iron Fist if needed.</p>
<p>Second place is a bit of a strange card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farmstead Gleaner" href="#" target="_blank">Farmstead Gleaner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A card that might not have been played outside of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reaper King" href="#" target="_blank">Reaper King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, it seems almost made for this one. An untap ability that gives a +1/+1 counter on it comes close to rivaling our first choice of meat. Costing two mana on the untap keeps it in the number two spot, but it's very close.</p>
<p>In third place is a classic creature for untap-focused decks as well as another Scarecrow, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pili-Pala" href="#" target="_blank">Pili-Pala</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. For as close as Farmstead Gleaner was to being in first place, Pili-Pala is that close to getting out of third. I value the ability to pump power a bit more than making some mana back, since the one thing I don't think this deck will struggle with is making mana once we get going.</p>
<h2>Veggies</h2>
<p>Normally, when talking about veggies in <em>MTG </em>terms, we are referencing cards that keep the deck humming, usually something such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farseek" href="#" target="_blank">Farseek</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Opt" href="#" target="_blank">Opt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Sticking with the soup metaphor, we mean something different. For this, we are looking at monsters to put into the soup that can help Iron Fist punch very, very hard.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Moltensteel Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Immolating Souleater"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hateflayer"></div></div>
<p>Another two artifact creatures to throw right into the grave, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moltensteel Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Moltensteel Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Immolating Souleater" href="#" target="_blank">Immolating Souleater</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, both allow us to pump up Iron Fist's power for the low cost of two life. With one or both of these in the graveyard, we can significantly speed up the clock when it comes to burning out the table.</p>
<p>What's better than burn damage when we tap our commander? Burn damage when we untap our commander. With <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hateflayer" href="#" target="_blank">Hateflayer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, anytime we have an extra three mana lying around, we can use this untap ability to throw damage at a player in between throwing damage at a player.</p>
<h2>Mana</h2>
<p>Speaking of mana, we have two different suites of cards that are going to allow us to get mana as we go through our deck constantly. The first suite is a set of creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Runaway Steam-Kin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birgi, God of Storytelling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Vision and Scarlet Witch"></div></div>
<p>Many players are familiar with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birgi, God of Storytelling" href="#" target="_blank">Birgi, God of Storytelling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, from red-based <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/storm/mono-red">Storm</a> or <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/spellslinger/mono-red">Spellslinger</a> decks in the format. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Runaway Steam-Kin" href="#" target="_blank">Runaway Steam-Kin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might need a break after every three spells, but it's an underused powerhouse when it comes to the earlier-mentioned strategies.</p>
<p>Brand new to the deck and the format is another Marvel card in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Vision and Scarlet Witch" href="#" target="_blank">The Vision and Scarlet Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In a pinch, this card can also be used to hit for quite a bit of damage thanks to flying and all the added +1/+1 counters.</p>
<p>In the second suite: boring mono-red spells that make mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeska&#039;s Will"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Geyser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seething Song"></div></div>
<p>Starting strong with a card so good they made it a <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers">Game Changer</a>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeska&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Jeska&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It adds mana and provides card advantage. Simple and yet very powerful. Some cards that we might be trying to hit off Jeska's Will are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Geyser" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Geyser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seething Song" href="#" target="_blank">Seething Song</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Both the Geyser and the Song are some of the best burst mana cards in the color red. In addition to these, we run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Desperate Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Desperate Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyretic Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Pyretic Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to go mana positive as often as we can. None of these rituals is "game-changing" outside of Jeska's Will in both the figurative and literal sense, but they're needed to keep the wheels turning.</p>
<h2>Stirring the Soup</h2>
<p>One thing that could cause the deck to stumble is the fact that the Soul Cauldron can't untap itself, and if we draw the wrong suite of cards, we could be an untap or mana short of winning the game. Fortunately, there are artifacts to fix this situation.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sonic Screwdriver"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Staff of Domination"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Umbral Mantle"></div></div>
<p>A card I keep finding myself adding to more and more decklists is the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sonic Screwdriver" href="#" target="_blank">Sonic Screwdriver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Mana when you need it, card selection when you don't, unblockability, and untapping as well. I'll always tell people to try out more three-mana-value rocks, and this one is near the top of my list.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Staff of Domination" href="#" target="_blank">Staff of Domination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the OG win-condition cards in the format. Many games have ended with a way to make infinite mana, and this card. Here, the main purpose is to untap a creature, but the rest of the card is icing on the cake.</p>
<p>Lastly, another semi-familiar card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umbral Mantle" href="#" target="_blank">Umbral Mantle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As mentioned with the cards above, this has the one-two punch of untapping Iron Fist and pumping up their power. Not to mention a nice equip cost of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-0" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, making the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to untap easier to bear.</p>
<h2>Spicy Soup</h2>
<p>Every good soup, just like every good deck, needs a bit of spice in the recipe. For this deck, I found some cards that are not too high on the Scoville scale but will give it a bit of an extra kick.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bonus Round"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kari Zev&#039;s Expertise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artist&#039;s Talent"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bonus Round" href="#" target="_blank">Bonus Round</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that I have loved ever since it came out in <em>Battlebond.</em> A very effective way to get a copy of every single instant and sorcery spell that you cast for the rest of the turn. If you're ever able to get a copy or second cast of the Bonus Round itself, then it becomes nearly impossible for you to lose the game from that point on. This card is criminally underplayed at only <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/bonus-round">0.66%</a> of eligible decks. Don't let the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> cost scare you off from this card.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kari Zev&#039;s Expertise" href="#" target="_blank">Kari Zev&#039;s Expertise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> highlights the spells in the deck that can allow us to untap Iron Fist and give it haste. You can indeed gain control of a creature that you already control, so this spell is an untap, haste enabler, and free spell cast rolled up in one convenient package.</p>
<p>The final card to talk about is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artist&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Artist&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Every level of this card is surprisingly effective for the overall strategy of this deck. The looting effect on level one. The cost reduction of spells when you get to level two. Finally, the bonus non-combat damage when and if you level it up all the way to three.</p>
<p>Getting to level three is maybe not the best use of mana, but if you have some lying around, there are worse things you could spend it on.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>Yes, there are many new commanders featured in <em>Marvel Super Heroes.</em> Iron Fist, Living Weapon is a drop in a bathtub-sized bucket when it comes to legendary creatures in the set. But this one is pretty neat and allows for a large swath of underplayed cards to make an appearance.</p>
<p>While it took me a bit to put all the pieces of this deck together, the original thought hit me immediately upon seeing it, and that is always fun when it comes to new cards. I understand if the set is not every player's cup of tea, but I would urge you to take a glance at what this set has to offer; you might find something that you like.</p>
<p>When you do, let me know over on Bluesky or Instagram @nicnax96. Don't forget to check out all the great content on the site by all our fabulous writers. Remember to ask Honey where your supersuit is before jumping into battle.</p>
<h2>Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tech The Deck - Iron Fist, Living Weapon" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Iron Fist, Living Weapon
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Ashling, Flame Dancer
*1 Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty
*1 Farmstead Gleaner
*1 Goblin Engineer
*1 Hateflayer
*1 Immolating Souleater
*1 Iron Myr
*1 Longshot, Rebel Bowman
*1 Moltensteel Dragon
*1 Pili-Pala
*1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
*1 Runaway Steam-Kin
*1 Storm-Kiln Artist
*1 The Vision and Scarlet Witch
*1 Torchling
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Agatha&#039;s Soul Cauldron
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Battlemage&#039;s Bracers
*1 Extraplanar Lens
*1 Moonsilver Key
*1 Patriar&#039;s Seal
*1 Puppet Strings
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Sonic Screwdriver
*1 Staff of Domination
*1 Thousand-Year Elixir
*1 Umbral Mantle
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ancestral Anger
*1 Asgardian Inspiration
*1 Bonus Round
*1 Claim the Firstborn
*1 Crash Through
*1 Evil&#039;s Thrall
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Gamble
*1 Haze of Rage
*1 Hex Magic
*1 Jeska&#039;s Will
*1 Kari Zev&#039;s Expertise
*1 Mana Geyser
*1 Mark of Mutiny
*1 Mizzix&#039;s Mastery
*1 Overmaster
*1 Reckless Handling
*1 Wrangle
*1 Wrenn&#039;s Resolve
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Artist&#039;s Talent
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Blazing Crescendo
*1 Brute Force
*1 Bulk Up
*1 Desperate Ritual
*1 Expedite
*1 Fists of Flame
*1 Flashback
*1 Haste Magic
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Needle Drop
*1 Pyretic Ritual
*1 Return the Favor
*1 Seething Song
*1 Sudden Breakthrough
*1 Tibalt&#039;s Trickery
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Untimely Malfunction
*1 Valakut Awakening // Valakut Stoneforge
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Crystal Vein
*1 Dwarven Ruins
*1 Guildless Commons
*1 Sandstone Needle
*29 Snow-Covered Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>


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