<p style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/magali_villeneuve/?hl=en">Magali Villeneuve</a></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed" href="#" target="_blank">Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has become the #2 <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders">most popular commander on EDHREC</a>.</p>
<p>In the process, she has bumped <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> down to the #3 slot.</p>
<p>We've gone down this road before, but this is a very significant promotion.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edgar Markov"></div></div>
<p>At risk of sounding like a broken record, I'd like to eschew most of the "whys" of this discussion, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/will-yshtola-break-into-the-top-5-most-popular-commanders">because I've covered it plenty of times before</a>.</p>
<p>Those discussions are linked below. Rather, I want to go into present considerations instead of speculative reasoning. Let's talk about that!</p>
<h2>Where Y'shtola Stands</h2>
<p>This is how I've been writing it. It's happened with <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/yshtola-nights-blessed-rises-to-3rd-most-popular-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the dethroning of Atraxa, Praetors' Voice</a>.</p>
<p>The same happened with <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/yshtola-becomes-4-most-popular-commander-bumping-krenko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the demotion of Krenko, Mob Boss</a> as well, and plenty of other commanders who have been demoted in rank.</p>
<p>But there's a twist here.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Mob Boss"></div></div>
<p>Y'shtola is now solidly in the #2 Top Commanders spot. When it comes to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the current #1 popular commander on EDHREC, the gap is a paltry 290 decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<h2>Another Challenger Approaches</h2>
<p>However, there's another interesting hurdle to consider, and this one is far more interesting to me. Right now, none of the top commanders on the site have ever reached 50,000 databased decks.</p>
<p>My curiosity now isn't whether Y'shtola will surpass The Ur-Dragon, because that seems inevitable. Rather, my interest is now whether she'll do so before The Ur-Dragon reaches that fabled 50k deck mark, and whether she'll do so <em>and</em> reach 50,000 decks.</p>
<p>This consideration is all a matter of time, and it's also all but assured. How cool is that? Y'shtola's Esper powers make her an exceptional commander to pilot, but can she, will she, hit 50k next?</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>I'm excited to see where Y'shtola lands. It feels like the top commanders are in a good spot to reach that 50,000 sweet spot.</p>
<p>Personally, I'm banking on our <em>Final Fantasy</em> catgirl to reign supreme <em>and</em> do this before the others.</p>
<p>What do you think, dear readers? Does Ms. Rhul have what it takes to do this? Are there enough fans of her precon card to make this happen? Sound off in the comments below!</p>


Y'shtola, Night's Blessed Becomes #2 Most Popular Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;">Image credit: Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>It's Tuesday, June 10th, and we are still three days away from the release of the <em>Final Fantasy Magic</em> set! Meanwhile, I've been hard at work covering the best and most flavorful cards from every mainline game in the series for our 16-day Count-Up! Yesterday I covered <em>FFXIII</em>; today, I'm looking at <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>!</p>
<p>To reiterate, here is the criteria I'm looking at:</p>
<ul>
<li>Honorable Mention - These usually will be a cycle or group of cards that are great but don't quite measure up to the "best" in the categories we have chosen to cover. Today's list will have one card in this category.</li>
<li>Best as a Commander - This category covers, as advertised, the best commander to lead a deck in Commander, but may also look briefly at other Command Zone-driven formats.</li>
<li>Best in the 99 - This section discusses my choice for the best card in a given 99 of a deck. It may be a ubiquitous card, but it might also just be a card with a fair amount of utility.</li>
<li>Most Flavorful - The most fun to play card in a storytelling context will be deemed Most Flavorful. For example, we covered <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Town Greeter" href="#" target="_blank">Town Greeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in our <em>FFI</em> list for its fun lore synergies with Towns, especially those with specific <em>Final Fantasy</em> town names.</li>
<li>Best In Show - The very best of these cards in a balance of the above categories.</li>
</ul>
<p>Furthermore, cards from the Commander precons, <em>Through the Ages</em>, and promotional/<em>Secret Lair</em> cards are ineligible for consideration. We want to keep this strictly from the main set.</p>
<p>With that, let's look at some amazing <em>FFXIV</em> cards!</p>
<h2>Honorable Mention</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Matoya, Archon Elder"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Matoya, Archon Elder" href="#" target="_blank">Matoya, Archon Elder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a deceptively strong creature. She puts in more work as a good imitation of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eligeth, Crossroads Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Eligeth, Crossroads Augur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but somehow her ability is even better. While she doesn't draw quite as many cards as Eligeth does, she allows you to improve the quality of the draw she provides. What's more, she also triggers off of surveilling, which is a big part of <em>Magic</em> these days.</p>
<p>The primary reason Matoya is only an Honorable Mention for this subset of cards is that she's outclassed by a ton of cards that are even better than she is. Let's take a look at some of them!</p>
<h2>Best as a Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emet-Selch, Unsundered"></div></div>
<p>Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yawgmoth&#039;s Will" href="#" target="_blank">Yawgmoth&#039;s Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in your command zone? If you've never owned a copy of Yawgmoth's Will but can appreciate the value it provides, chances are good that you have. Well, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emet-Selch, Unsundered" href="#" target="_blank">Emet-Selch, Unsundered</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is very much that card. While rather unassuming on its front face, Emet-Selch eventually transforms into a permanent version of Yawgmoth's Will on its rear face. While this version only works on your turns, it's still a fantastic iteration of an arguably broken effect. As such, Emet-Selch is my pick for Best as a Commander for <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>.</p>
<h2>Best in the 99</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Confidant"></div></div>
<p>"Bob" is back! Designed by <em>Magic</em> Invitational winner <strong>Bob Maher</strong> back for the original <em>Ravnica: City of Guilds</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Confidant" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Confidant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has finally come home to Standard. However, that doesn't mean he's out of place in Commander! For a simple and low cost of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and some life, you can have all the comforts of extra card advantage at each of your upkeep steps. Maher's elegant design shines through this card even today, providing "greatness, at any cost" (to quote the original <em>Ravnica</em> flavor text).</p>
<h2>Most Flavorful</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Summon: Primal Odin"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Summon: Primal Odin" href="#" target="_blank">Summon: Primal Odin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that, understandably, evokes Primal Odin, a figure in <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em> that you must face at a given point in the game. He does, in fact, take a party member out of the game with his might during that portion of combat, I'm told, and as such, his <em>Zantetsuken</em> ability on the card aligns well with the things the game's iteration is capable of. With that in mind, Summon: Primal Odin is my pick for Most Flavorful.</p>
<p>With that, we come to <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>'s Best In Show. There are 43 eligible entries in the entire subset and 39 cards left after the above. So, what won out? Well...</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy XIV</em> Best In Show</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Wandering Minstrel"></div></div>
<p>It's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Wandering Minstrel" href="#" target="_blank">The Wandering Minstrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p>The Wandering Minstrel is nothing short of amazing. His basic affinities for Town lands mean it's easier to build around those kinds of nonbasic lands with him. Plus, as a 2-cost, five-color commander he can be used with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyruda, Doom of Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Gyruda, Doom of Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umori, the Collector" href="#" target="_blank">Umori, the Collector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jegantha, the Wellspring" href="#" target="_blank">Jegantha, the Wellspring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as companions. That's assuming you build The Wandering Minstrel around them, but all are technically eligible companions for him.</p>
<p>Lorewise, The Wandering Minstrel is, in the game, a self-insert by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoki_Yoshida"><strong>Naoki Yoshida</strong></a>. Also known as "Yoshi-P", Yoshida is a major game producer, director, and designer for Square Enix. Most notably, he produced <em>Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn</em>! As such, he needed to be our Best In Show for the subset - I accept no substitutions here.</p>
<p>With that, we wrap up our coverage of <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>. This set has a <em>lot</em> of <em>FFXIV</em> representation compared to many other games in the series. How did you feel we fared with this list? Do you think we missed anything of note? Sound off in the comments! And, please feel free to look at our entries for previous games in the various links below!</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-one-ffi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 1: <em>FFI</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-two-ffii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2: <em>FFII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-three-ffiii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 3: <em>FFIII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-four-ffiv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 4: <em>FFIV</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-five-ffv?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 5: <em>FFV</em></a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-six-ffvi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Day 6: <em>FFVI</em></strong></a><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-seven-ffvii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 7: <em>FFVII</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 8: </a><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eight-ffviii/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>FFVIII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-nine-ffix?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 9: <em>FFIX</em></a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-ten-ffx/?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 10: <em>FFX</em></a></strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-eleven-ffxi?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 11: <em>FFXI</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-twelve-ffxii?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 12: <em>FFXII</em></a></strong><strong> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/final-fantasy-16-day-count-up-day-thirteen-ffxiii">Day 13: <em>FFXIII</em></a></strong></p>


Final Fantasy 16-Day Count-Up, Day Fourteen: FFXIV

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian" href="#" target="_blank">Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pauliusdscr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paulius Dascioras</a></em></p>
<p>Have you always wondered what it would be like to raise armies for fun and profit? Has your research brought you to the brink of madness, delirium, or, at the very least, some other valid graveyard-based strategies? If so, dear reader, then you're in luck! This Commander deck tech revolving around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian" href="#" target="_blank">Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a character from <em>Final Fantasy XIV</em>, is sure to raise eyebrows, if not entire bodies!</p>
<p>In the context of <em>FFXIV</em>, Fandaniel is an <a href="https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/a_realm_reborn/world/#!/threats/content?threats_08" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ascian</a>, or a "Bringer of Chaos," as it were. He's allied with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zenos yae Galvus" href="#" target="_blank">Zenos yae Galvus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of the game's central antagonists, and is a secondary antagonist in <em>Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers</em>.</p>
<p>In the context of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>, Fandaniel is an excellent source of self-mill for you, and an even better source of life loss for your opponents.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian Do?</h2>
<p>To succinctly describe Fandaniel's abilities and how they measure in the context of Commander, we must look at them through the lens of his having <em>four</em> abilities, not just the two as printed. The first ability, which allows you to surveil 2 when you cast an instant or sorcery spell, can quickly fill your graveyard when you desire. However, this ability also grants you card selection. Surveiling, like scrying, doesn't <em>force</em> you to put the cards you see into the graveyard, after all. In fact, you put the cards back on top in any order if you don't put them there!</p>
<p>For that reason, the surveil ability is more like half of a copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Index" href="#" target="_blank">Index</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (rounded down) for the price of casting something entirely different! That's two abilities in one.</p>
<p>Now, let's look at his other ability. At your end step, your opponents choose how this ability affects them, with there being two choices. On an individual basis, your opponents will either sacrifice a nontoken creature or they will lose a <em>lot</em> of life. Usually abilities that allow opponents to pick their poison are not incredibly beneficial to you. Generally, a discerning opponent will choose the option that benefits them the most (read here as "hurts them the least"). However, if you can either a) limit their options or b) make both options positively sting, none of that will truly matter to you. You couldn't care less about the pain, but your opponents certainly will.</p>
<h3>Breaking the Chain With Fandaniel</h3>
<p>For this deck, we want to look at Fandaniel as an optimal reanimator commander. As a five-mana creature, my thoughts immediately go to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainer, Dementia Master" href="#" target="_blank">Chainer, Dementia Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. However, as a mono-black commander that cares immensely about instants and sorceries, I have other thoughts as well (more on those shortly). For a moment, though, let's quickly talk about reanimation in a Chainer deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chainer, Dementia Master"></div></div>
<p>Generally speaking, I find Chainer to be utterly fascinating. Of all the content I've written throughout my writing career, he's been my most discussed commander. To date, I've written three whole articles on the card. However, Chainer is a reanimator commander that couldn't be further from Fandaniel in a variety of ways. For one, Chainer <em>actually</em> reanimates creatures, while Fandaniel fills your graveyard and potentially others' as well. Chainer isn't limited to your turn, while Fandaniel is somewhat stuck triggering at your end step. And, perhaps most damning of all, Chainer has downsides in costing mana to resurrect things as well as that nasty leaves-the-battlefield trigger he has. Fandaniel is all upside.</p>
<h3>A Common Link In Support</h3>
<p>Truth be told, they complement each other nicely for these reasons. Fandaniel enables Chainer (and others) as a more support-focused card, put simply. This is where that prior comparison I alluded to comes in: Fandaniel is Chainer support in a similar but slightly different way to <em>Portal Three </em><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em>Kingdoms</em>'</span> own <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed" href="#" target="_blank">Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed"></div></div>
<p>Hear me out. Xiahou Dun might be a $90-$150 card (depending on what printing you want), but his effect is novel and supports both of these commanders in a huge way. Far and away, Xiahou Dun is the most expensive card to grace this deck tech, but it's also unique for what it does. In the exact same vein as how you can bring creatures back with it, Xiahou Dun allows you to also bring back instant and sorcery cards. The synergy is there, and it is in the slinging of spells.</p>
<h3>It Takes an Ascian to Raise a Family</h3>
<p>This brings us to the strategy portion of this deck tech. As this is a reanimator deck, we want to fill our grave with creatures and bring them back with our instant and sorcery spells. Put plainly, in the early game, we want to ramp up to 5 mana at least with our 50 or so mana sources while filling our graveyard. Then, in the mid-game, we want to start slinging spells left and right to gain value off of our card selection and continued self-mill. This should allow us to bring a few haymaker creatures back from the dead in the process. Finally, we want to cause such a tough ultimatum for our opponents that they can't help but lose the game.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for Fandaniel</h2>
<p>Fandaniel, as a reanimation commander, needs a lot of build-around support. After all, he himself doesn't reanimate. To that end, we have to curate our deck around the goal we're setting: raising the dead for fun and profit!</p>
<h3>Grouping #1: Self-Mill</h3>
<p>To kickstart this deck's overall game plan, we need a way to get cards into the graveyard. After all, the grave is our spawn point for a great many cards! Notable cards that help assist with this include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Konrad, the Grim" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Konrad, the Grim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oriq Loremage" href="#" target="_blank">Oriq Loremage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and dredgers <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stinkweed Imp" href="#" target="_blank">Stinkweed Imp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golgari Thug" href="#" target="_blank">Golgari Thug</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doom Whisperer" href="#" target="_blank">Doom Whisperer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, while a good reanimation target in its own right, also serves as a strong self-mill piece. And let's not neglect to mention <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Warring Triad" href="#" target="_blank">The Warring Triad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a new card from the <em>Final Fantasy</em> Commander decks. Apparently, being able to provide double-duty in the early game (both self-mill <em>and</em> mana acceleration) is quite potent.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oriq Loremage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Warring Triad"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doom Whisperer"></div></div>
<p>Okay, we have a sizable graveyard. So now what?</p>
<h3>Grouping #2: Reanimation Spells</h3>
<p>To cast a reanimation spell with this <em>Final Fantasy</em> legend is tricky. Whenever we cast an instant or sorcery, we have to adhere to a couple of rules:</p>
<ol>
<li>When we select targets, we haven't yet cast the spell. As such, cards we surveil away won't be legal resurrection targets.</li>
<li>We want instants and sorceries in the graveyard, but not the ones that revive our creatures. At least, this is true in the short term. To that end, we don't want to surveil those away unless there's no use for them, which is a rare situation by the time we have Fandaniel in play.</li>
</ol>
<p>So, in order to maximize our value, we don't necessarily want to run resurrection-based enchantments, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animate Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Animate Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necromancy" href="#" target="_blank">Necromancy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are out while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stitch Together" href="#" target="_blank">Stitch Together</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reanimate" href="#" target="_blank">Reanimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> proper, and the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rejoin the Fight" href="#" target="_blank">Rejoin the Fight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all in.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reanimate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rejoin the Fight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stitch Together"></div></div>
<p>There are couple of exceptions here. Reanimation that repeats itself, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Strands of Night" href="#" target="_blank">Strands of Night</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for instance, feels good for when or if you run out of fuel. And don't think we forgot about creatures that can do the job as well! That's the second main exception. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheoldred, Whispering One" href="#" target="_blank">Sheoldred, Whispering One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Delver" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Delver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doomed Necromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Doomed Necromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all can take part in this. Furthermore, the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ardyn, the Usurper" href="#" target="_blank">Ardyn, the Usurper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>Final Fantasy</em> does a similar trick. We have to appreciate the ingenuity of a creature that brings back friends.</p>
<p>On that note, we include both of the aforementioned legendary mono-black Reanimator creatures as well. Importantly, Xiahou Dun will bring back our black spells for even more mileage.</p>
<p>That's the main idea for how to resurrect things. On to payoffs!</p>
<h3>Grouping #3: Reanimation Targets</h3>
<p>Let's discuss various targets for our resurrection spells. This section can be curated to taste, but we have a few particularly nice ones in here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archon of Cruelty" href="#" target="_blank">Archon of Cruelty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a modern classic (and a Modern classic, to boot!). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vilis, Broker of Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Vilis, Broker of Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to trade some pain for cards, which is important as life is a resource to the discerning black-aligned planeswalker. We even have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Massacre Wurm" href="#" target="_blank">Massacre Wurm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a minor board wipe that can, potentially, discourage further board wipes down the road.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archon of Cruelty"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vilis, Broker of Blood"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Massacre Wurm"></div></div>
<p>When talking about the life loss that Vilis or Chainer inflict upon you, we need to talk about mitigation. Not only is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sangromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Sangromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a strong inclusion here for its lifegain opportunities, as a flyer, it can prove remarkably helpful in a pinch. We also have the tried-and-true duo of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kokusho, the Evening Star" href="#" target="_blank">Kokusho, the Evening Star</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gray Merchant of Asphodel" href="#" target="_blank">Gray Merchant of Asphodel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to drain opponents to their doom. How fun!</p>
<h2>How Does Fandaniel Win?</h2>
<p>As you'd expect, this deck wants to win by either making opponents unable to prevent losing a ton of life, or simply drains and damages them to death by a horde of ultimately unkillable creatures. The most ideal scenario here is this: by the end of the game, your opponents will lose on your turn because they have no creatures in play and so can't sacrifice them to sate Fandaniel's ability. To this end, obligatory board wipes are nice to have handy.</p>
<p>Alternatively, you could also cast and recast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Extortion" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Extortion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a repeatedly-resurrected Xiahou Dun, but I hear tell that chaining extra turns is a bit icky. Thankfully, your opponents can choose to let that happen; that frees you from the onus (kind of)!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temporal Extortion"></div></div>
<h2>Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Altar of Dementia
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Darkness Crystal
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Whip of Erebos
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Archon of Cruelty
*1 Ardyn, the Usurper
*1 Bog Witch
*1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
*1 Chainer, Dementia Master
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Dimir House Guard
*1 Doom Whisperer
*1 Doomed Necromancer
*1 Evin, Waterdeep Opportunist
*1 Golgari Thug
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
*1 Magus of the Will
*1 Massacre Wurm
*1 Oriq Loremage
*1 Phyrexian Delver
*1 Pitiless Plunderer
*1 Sangromancer
*1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Stinkweed Imp
*1 Stitcher&#039;s Supplier
*1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
*1 The Warring Triad
*1 Vilis, Broker of Blood
*1 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bitterblossom
*1 Chthonian Nightmare
*1 Dictate of Erebos
*1 Necropotence
*1 Strands of Night
*1 Teval&#039;s Judgment
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bubbling Muck
*1 Damnation
*1 Dead of Winter
*1 Dread Return
*1 Exhume
*1 Final Parting
*1 Nightmare Void
*1 Reanimate
*1 Rejoin the Fight
*1 Stitch Together
*1 Temporal Extortion
*1 Toxic Deluge
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Cabal Ritual
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Darkblast
*1 Darkness
*1 Espers to Magicite
*1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
*1 Sacrifice
*1 Snuff Out
*1 Withering Boon
*1 Withering Torment
[/Instants]
[Lands]
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Dakmor Salvage
*1 Fabled Passage
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Scrying Sheets
*1 Shizo, Death&#039;s Storehouse
*20 Snow-Covered Swamp
*1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Verdant Catacombs
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy</em>? More Like Final Fandaniel!</h2>
<p>To conclude, Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian is a new commander from <em>Final Fantasy</em> that's fun for the whole Fandaniel! ...To be fair, I am not sorry for that pun, but I'm <em>also</em> not sorry for providing this deck tech! If it has helped inspire you to look at this card in an inspired light, sound off below! Furthermore, you can check out any of our other deck techs, including <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/group-slugging-with-kefka-court-mage">this one</a> for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kefka, Court Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Kefka, Court Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>


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Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian Reanimator Commander Deck Tech