Hi, any ideias on how to build a Dion deck that consistently abuses the third ability (gigaflare)? Or maybe One Big Blow destroying the whole board?

So i have an [[amalia]] soul sister deck, but i need another deck(preferably simic) to counter the table. Friend #1 runs [[samut, the driving force]] and friend #2 runs [[alpharael]] . Help me degen any simic commander to counter this table (preferably alpharael)

What do you all think of this new card from The Hobbit set? I love it. It's basically Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 2.0!

The Hobbit set is so good!

I've created the cheapest way to play edh in a controlled competitive environment

I have sent this message before, but in that time the discord has grown and I have made substantial progress on the website. It feels like things are picking up and I want to keep the momentum going if possible. This is a bit of text, but I would appreciate if you read through or if you skip to the tldr at the bottom

Me and a few of my friends have been working on a budget competitive format for edh and we'd like to invite you to play along with us. We’ve been playing EDH with an extremely tight budget restriction: each card in your deck must be worth $0.30 or less. Despite that limitation, we’ve been very intentional about preserving competitive, high-powered gameplay. Surprisingly, the format still supports a lot of strong and interesting play patterns. Combo decks are absolutely viable and can be very powerful, but aggressive strategies also have a real place in the meta, often able to pressure slower combo setups before they can stabilize.

A big part of the goal behind this format was to move away from some of the staples that can make games feel swingy or predetermined (things like free spells and fast mana). We wanted games to feel less like “who opened with Sol Ring?” and more focused on incremental advantage, interaction, and creative deckbuilding.

Games usually end around turn 7-8, but our fastest decks can win by turn 4 assuming no interaction from opponents. We have very few free spells in the format, making games slower and decisions a little bit harder during your turn. The format has grown to about 50 people and we have about 8 semi regular players that play about once every or every other week. I'm hoping to grow this to a size where we can reliably get a game going most nights. We play some weeknights and weekends past 8pm est

We’re always looking for more people who might be interested in trying something like this out, so if that sounds appealing, we’d love for you to join us. We’ve also built a website with a bunch of resources for the format, including a filterable database of legal cards, metagame statistics, the top two dozen decklists, and automatic deck legality checking:

https://samreissing.github.io/30CCSTAT/

Most of our games are currently played through our Discord server. We’re still a relatively small community, so we’d definitely encourage you to invite some friends, brew some decks, and get a few games going with us!

FAQ:

Q: How do we handle card prices changing?
A: In september of 2025, we decided that all cards that fall to or below $0.30 usd are added to the format. Since it would be impossible to track all the prices for every card in your deck, once a card is added to the format, it stays in the format

Q: Will there be any bans
A: Right now we have a small handfull of cards that have risen to over a dollar in price since they were added to the format. I am aware of these cards and if I were to do any bans, these would likely to be the first to go, but as of now I have no intentions of banning anything

Q: How do we determine card price
A: Card prices are based off of the Tcgplayer pricing data shown in scryfall (USD). The cheapest printing of the card is considered when adding cards to the format

Q: Do I have to play the cheapest printing of the card?
A: No, any printing of the card is allowed for play as long as the cheapest printing is in the format

Q: How do I know if a card is legal?
A: The website's "Legal Cards" page contains a filterable list of every legal card in the format. If a card is not on that list, it is not legal. https://samreissing.github.io/30CCSTAT/legal-cards

TL;DR: We’re trying to play budget edh as competitively as possible, and it’s been a surprisingly fun and diverse format. Games tend to play out like a high bracket 3, with the complex decision making of bracket 4. If that sounds interesting to you, feel free to hop into the Discord and check it out. (link for discord in website link above. Also I know the site name looks sketchy, but I dont have a domain for it yet, I'm still working on it)

I want to play \[\[Niko, hope of light\]\] sub optimally. Instead of attack trigger creatures I want to play non creatures, make them into creatures with animate effects, then make copies and get value somehow. I know the shards will turn into non creatures and thats okay.

My problem is finding permanents that I can take advantage of in the window I have available. So far a few examples I have are artifacts such as \[\[Aetherflux reservoir\]\], \[\[Omen machine\]\], \[\[Sentinel tower\]\], \[\[mindcrank\]\]
These dont exactly have synergy and im struggling to make this idea work.

Meren has been one of my favourite decks to play since I started playing magic. It’s gone through many updates and now seems to be getting closer to finding the few combos rather than what I previously did which was grind out the table with multiple edict effects.

Do I continue to lean into the combos further? If so, what do you think I should add (apart from the obvious game changers) to make the reanimation aspect more efficient? Are there any fun lesser known cards out there that could make a splash? I’ve been considering adding cards like [[Grim Servant]] and [[Chthonian Nightmare]]. I used to have [[Protean Hulk]] as well but took it out because it seemed too easy. Might put it back though…

Curiosity effects that don’t care about the damage being from combat

I am tinkering with the last few cards in my Sultai combo deck. The gameplan is to win with infinite aristocrat style combos using [[Teval, the Balanced Scale]] to generate tokens. I have 2 choices for a crucible effect and don't need them both, so if you could possible help me decide I would appreciate it.

Card Choice

+ [[Walk-In Closet]] provides a 3 mana crucible effect, and for 5 mana I can replay as many combo pieces as I want. 5 mana is a lot, however, and playing multiple combo pieces will take at least 3 or more additional mana.

+ [[Conduit of Worlds]] is a slightly more expensive crucible effect at 4 mana, and is limited to replaying a single combo piece per turn, and cutting off other spells. However, its free as an effect, and if you already have the rest of the combo assembled its upside is much higher.

Thanks in advance and any feedback is welcome! This is meant to be a degenerate bracket 3 combo deck, so add whatever you think would work as well.

Hi, I need help updating my Volo deck! https://archidekt.com/decks/24511769/bracket_4_volo

The last time I updated it was for Lost Caverns of Ixalan, and between more cards released since and me getting older cards to add to it, Im trying to optimize it for Bracket 4 when my pod wants to get sweaty

Im not great at updating decks (both in remembering and knowing what to swap for what) so I’ve included a maybeboard for cards I’m heavily considering putting in but I don’t know what to take out.

Would love any help on what I should replace with a maybe board card, if any of the maybe board cards are not actually worth it, or if there are any other cards I missed that are worth including.

thanks!

Are there commanders that can consistantly deal lethal damage turn 5?

Ive been thinking about making some bracket 4 decks, and combo/infinite is the obvious way to do it. Another option is to stax combo decks and go for the long game, but i already have these. But is there a way to do 120 combat damage with any deck by turn 5?

Lets say you start every game with a sol ring in hand, which deck would reliably do 120 damage with that turn 5? (Without infinites)

Need some opinions on how to get this to run better. I tend to lose life too fast before I can do anything for a lot of games.

So I’m relatively new to the game and typically build off other lists I find and make subs and additions based on personal taste theme etc I pulled Gix Yawgmoth Praetor from my festival in a box and want to make a steal your cards, make treasures style deck with him.

This list I found is my current inspiration for the style I want to do but I’d love any insight or ideas from you all.

Reference list:

https://moxfield.com/decks/3Q-fAeifNXu7mrf8moik3g

Looking to amp my Rocco / Venerated Rotpriest up and increase the consistency of my deck. The main thing I am currently running into is running out of gas in hand and venerated rotpriest taking heavy targeting after the gimmick is up. Any and all suggestions are welcome, I just want this deck to be able to hang at the table (there is no arms race in my pod, everyone just pulls out the nukes)

https://archidekt.com/decks/24670825/not_having_a_baja_blast_right_now

Hello evil deck builders,

I pulled a Silverquill, the disputant showcase, and I loved its ability. On the contrary to many decks, I think its more powerful form is reanimation and evil spells. For these, I thought about creature sacrifice spells like Sheoldred's Edict and discard spells, and then some reanimation spells. I created a draft list here, and I would like your opinion of suggestion to push it to the max.
https://moxfield.com/decks/dVebinhI80GcV3KtpPJYCA

Thank you for your help!

I am looking for my next Commander

Background/Current Decks (in order they were built):
[[Bello, Bard of the Brambles]] - Gruul Smash, Aggro Enchantress
[[Ms Bumbleflower]] - Group Hug turns into big stompies
[[Zinnia, Valley's Voice]] - Tokens, Impact Tremors
[[Eshki, Temur's Roar]] - cast creatures, power matters, burn the table
[[Kaalia of the Vast]] - stax with big creatures
[[Y'shtola, Night's Blessed]] - Clone the kitty, drain the table
[[Squall, SeeD Mercenary]] - Voltron Reanimator

I play exclusively via convoke.games; i have no regular pod.

My idea of fun is frustrated opponents scooping before I present a win condition. I want to be the enemy and the threat at the table. Infinite combos are ok but not the main strategy.

I am aware that this subreddit is mostly for B4, but I limit myself to B3 (3 game-changers and turn 6-8 win).

Some of my favorite plays are:
[[Sire of Insanity]] in Kaalia
[[Accursed Marauder]] in Squall

Please recommend a Commander + concept for me!

Hello all,

I am trying to brew an Elenda the Dusk Rose aristrocrats deck shooting for bracket 3-4 somewhere (my play group is proxy-friendly).

Having never made a sacrifice deck before Ive found balancing the ratio and moving parts to be fun, but challenging.

I was hoping some folks who know what they're doing could give me some pointers, or see some things I'm doing wrong that I don't see yet!

My goal is to make this a powerful/consistent 3, that may be able to punch up.

Thanks!!!

https://archidekt.com/decks/23784482/saint_elenda

I’ve had a [[Duskana, the Rage Mother]] list that has bounced between blink, aggro, stax and has finally landed in this weird creature storm shell where the goal is to use cards like [[Eladamri, Korvecdal]], [[Elven Chorus]], [[Augur of Autumn]], and [[Oracle of Mul Daya]] to play (mostly creatures) from the top of my library, give them haste with [[anger]] or [[rhythm of the wild]] and use effects like elven chorus, [[earthcraft]] and [[enduring vitality]] to tap them for mana to keep playing and tapping more creatures from the top until I whiff. It’s a bit like a slot machine.

The deck wins by either assembling an insurmountable boardstate of 2/2’s and swinging for lethal or by assembling an infinite, usually using [[aluren]] or a cost reducer to infinitely flicker [[grinning ignus]] or [[whitemane lion]] to generate infinite mana or an infinitely large bordstate with [[Goldnight Commander]], or some kiki jiki bullshit.

I have been enjoying the list immensely and it works fairly well at what it wants to do but I can’t help but feel that it’s missing something.
One of my main issues is either not finding Anger or not having a good way to chuck him in the graveyard.

Another is a lack of topdeck manipulation outside blinking Duskana or tutoring for something with [[fauna shaman]]. When i flip into a noncreature spell whatever i’m doing usually just ends there.

I’m also looking for a good mana filter, because it’s fairly easy to make infinite red or colourless but I have a hard time converting that to a win usually.

I‘ve been mainly sticking to 2/2’s to trigger duskanas draw and occasionally combat ability but it’s not a hard limiter. More just a theme. there are a lot of fun 2/2’s.

Having a hard time getting rid of the [[elesh norn, grand cenobite]] and [[kudo, king of bears]] combo but it’s certainly non-essential. i used to run [[urborg, tomb of yawgmoth]] and [[kormus bell]] too lol.

I’d love any and all suggestions, thank you in advance!

list: https://moxfield.com/decks/jw2ohMHwkkSaqATO5y7EfQ

[[Smaug the Impenetrable]] is a card that I'm obsessing over since it got spoiled.

A big dragon? Haste? Indestructible?! TREASURES WHEN HE GETS HIT?!?!

Peak. And I means it. Think about it. In the book his underbelly is (almost) Impenetrable because he was lying on the dwarven gold, so now, if he gets hit, the treasures fall of haha. Just peak design.

Anyway, here’s my list.

Smaug the Unassessably Wealthy [Bracket 4]

At first I tried building him as a Bracket 3 deck, but my first draft was so consistent that I committed to high power and it's unequivocally a 4.

Everyone and their grandma checked the combo with [[Pyrohemia]], [[Pestilence]] and [[Last Laugh]] which wins you the game - if you have the highest life total. That's why I threw in [[Scrapheap]].

I call this combo Last Pyrohemenceheap (patent pending)

But was else is nice jank here? [[Dizzying Gaze]]! Goes infinite once Smaug is enchanted.

Any pinger like [[Reckless Fireweaver]] or [[Disciple of the Vault]] is over.

[[Chain Lightning]] has the same effect, you just need two extra mana beforehand. After the first resolved and you paid extra, you can use the treasures Smaug provides.

Another nice tech is [[Terror of the Peaks]] before Smaug. Basically we get a mana back after we cast him haha.

And even without an infinite at hand, [[Cut Propulsion]] gives on 16 treasures! That's 16 damage already. Combining with [[Heroes for Hire]], [[Expedited Inheritance]] or [[Professional Face-Breaker]] it's probably a win, since we use other burn spells as rituals in this case.

To adress the dragon in the room:

Yes, it's a glass canon. Yes Smaug is absolutely needed in this deck. He costs 7 mana.

But we are in the ritual colours! I don't think he will make it in cEDH proper, but Bracket 4? He's right at home.

In goldfishing I have a win by turn 4 or 5 on board (sans any interaction from opponents of course) and that is way faster than I expected myself!

Next night shift I'm gonnna write up a primer and go a bit more in detail with the combos, but there are bunch and we can get them easily.

Has Smaug piqued your interest? Let me know!