edhseer Commander synergy, explained

Precons › Commander 2020

Arcane Maelstrom

Commander precon · Commander 2020 · 2020 · led by Kalamax, the Stormsire

Main theme: instants · Synergy 3.6/5 (connected) · Bracket 3 · Kalamax, the Stormsire works with 6 of its cards

Upgrades at bracket 1–2

No Game Changers and no infinite combos: the level of an unchanged precon. Game Changers are cards on WotC's official list of cards that make a deck much stronger.It starts at bracket 3, so the first swap brings it down.

15 swaps, and after them the report reads the deck at bracket 1–2.

Its cards work together a little more: synergy 3.6 → 4.0 of 5, from connected to tight. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.5 → 4.9 of 5, still on target; no longer short on interaction, still 1 short on ramp. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

First, to reach bracket 1–2

  1. Take out Crop Rotation: Crop Rotation is on the official Game Changer list, which raises a deck's bracket; bracket 1–2 allows none, and this deck has 1. Put in Storm-Kiln Artist: When Swarm Intelligence is copied, Storm-Kiln Artist makes a token

Lands

  1. Take out Gruul Turf: Gruul Turf enters tapped. Put in Fire-Lit Thicket: Fire-Lit Thicket never enters tapped and makes red or green.
  2. Take out Rugged Highlands: Rugged Highlands enters tapped. Put in Spire Garden: Spire Garden never enters tapped and makes red or green.
  3. Take out Simic Growth Chamber: Simic Growth Chamber enters tapped. Put in Breeding Pool: Breeding Pool never enters tapped and makes blue or green.
  4. Take out Thornwood Falls: Thornwood Falls enters tapped. Put in Flooded Grove: Flooded Grove never enters tapped and makes blue or green.
  5. Take out Izzet Boilerworks: Izzet Boilerworks enters tapped. Put in Cascade Bluffs: Cascade Bluffs never enters tapped and makes blue or red.
  6. Take out Swiftwater Cliffs: Swiftwater Cliffs enters tapped. Put in Ferrous Lake: Ferrous Lake never enters tapped and makes blue or red.

Ramp

  1. Take out Predatory Impetus: Predatory Impetus is next on the report's cut list. All it does here is help 1 card once, by finding them or bringing them back. Put in Fellwar Stone: Ramp: you were 1 short; Fellwar Stone counts as ramp.

Interaction

  1. Take out Wilderness Reclamation: Wilderness Reclamation is next on the report's cut list. All it does here is help 1 card once, by finding them or bringing them back. Put in Sword of Wealth and Power: Interaction: you were 4 short; Sword of Wealth and Power counts as interaction. When Evolution Charm is cast, Sword of Wealth and Power copies a spell.
  2. Take out Twinning Staff: Twinning Staff is next on the report's cut list. Put in Weaver of Lightning: Interaction: you were 4 short; Weaver of Lightning counts as interaction. When Evolution Charm is cast, Weaver of Lightning deals 1 damage.
  3. Take out Ravenous Gigantotherium: Ravenous Gigantotherium is next on the report's cut list. Works with 2 other cards: with 2 again and again. Put in Jace, Vryn's Prodigy // Jace, Telepath Unbound: Interaction: you were 4 short; Jace, Vryn's Prodigy // Jace, Telepath Unbound counts as interaction.
  4. Take out Dualcaster Mage: Dualcaster Mage is next on the report's cut list. Works with 3 other cards: with 3 again and again. Put in Claim the Kingdom: Interaction: you were 4 short; Claim the Kingdom counts as interaction.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Etali, Primal Storm: Etali, Primal Storm works with 6 cards in this deck, 5 of them on its theme; Niv-Mizzet, Parun works with 20 cards, all of them on it. Put in Niv-Mizzet, Parun: When Lunar Mystic makes a player draw a card, Niv-Mizzet, Parun deals 1 damage
  2. Take out Whiplash Trap: Whiplash Trap works with 4 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme. Put in Deekah, Fractal Theorist: When Swarm Intelligence is copied, Deekah, Fractal Theorist makes a token
  3. Take out Clash of Titans: Clash of Titans works with 5 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme; Dragonsguard Elite works with 12 cards, 10 of them on it, and with your commander. Put in Dragonsguard Elite: When Swarm Intelligence is copied, Dragonsguard Elite puts a +1/+1 counter on itself

Upgrades at bracket 3

Up to three Game Changers, and no two-card infinite combo that costs 6 or less.

16 swaps, and after them the report reads the deck at bracket 3.

Its cards work together more: synergy 3.6 → 4.1 of 5, from connected to tight. It is more consistent: Build 4.5 → 5.0 of 5, still on target; no longer short on interaction, no longer short on ramp. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out Gruul Turf: Gruul Turf enters tapped. Put in Fire-Lit Thicket: Fire-Lit Thicket never enters tapped and makes red or green.
  2. Take out Rugged Highlands: Rugged Highlands enters tapped. Put in Spire Garden: Spire Garden never enters tapped and makes red or green.
  3. Take out Simic Growth Chamber: Simic Growth Chamber enters tapped. Put in Breeding Pool: Breeding Pool never enters tapped and makes blue or green.
  4. Take out Thornwood Falls: Thornwood Falls enters tapped. Put in Flooded Grove: Flooded Grove never enters tapped and makes blue or green.
  5. Take out Izzet Boilerworks: Izzet Boilerworks enters tapped. Put in Cascade Bluffs: Cascade Bluffs never enters tapped and makes blue or red.
  6. Take out Swiftwater Cliffs: Swiftwater Cliffs enters tapped. Put in Ferrous Lake: Ferrous Lake never enters tapped and makes blue or red.

Ramp

  1. Take out Predatory Impetus: Predatory Impetus is next on the report's cut list. All it does here is help 1 card once, by finding them or bringing them back. Put in Fellwar Stone: Ramp: you were 1 short; Fellwar Stone counts as ramp.
  2. Take out Arcane Signet: Arcane Signet is weaker ramp than Chrome Mox. Put in Chrome Mox: Chrome Mox is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Card advantage

  1. Take out Primal Empathy: Primal Empathy is weaker card draw than Rhystic Study. Put in Rhystic Study: Rhystic Study is card draw too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Interaction

  1. Take out Wilderness Reclamation: Wilderness Reclamation is next on the report's cut list. All it does here is help 1 card once, by finding them or bringing them back. Put in Sword of Wealth and Power: Interaction: you were 4 short; Sword of Wealth and Power counts as interaction. When Evolution Charm is cast, Sword of Wealth and Power copies a spell.
  2. Take out Twinning Staff: Twinning Staff is next on the report's cut list. Put in Weaver of Lightning: Interaction: you were 4 short; Weaver of Lightning counts as interaction. When Evolution Charm is cast, Weaver of Lightning deals 1 damage.
  3. Take out Ravenous Gigantotherium: Ravenous Gigantotherium is next on the report's cut list. Works with 2 other cards: with 2 again and again. Put in Jace, Vryn's Prodigy // Jace, Telepath Unbound: Interaction: you were 4 short; Jace, Vryn's Prodigy // Jace, Telepath Unbound counts as interaction.
  4. Take out Dualcaster Mage: Dualcaster Mage is next on the report's cut list. Works with 3 other cards: with 3 again and again. Put in Claim the Kingdom: Interaction: you were 4 short; Claim the Kingdom counts as interaction.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Etali, Primal Storm: Etali, Primal Storm works with 6 cards in this deck, 5 of them on its theme; Niv-Mizzet, Parun works with 20 cards, all of them on it. Put in Niv-Mizzet, Parun: When Lunar Mystic makes a player draw a card, Niv-Mizzet, Parun deals 1 damage
  2. Take out Whiplash Trap: Whiplash Trap works with 4 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme. Put in Deekah, Fractal Theorist: When Swarm Intelligence is copied, Deekah, Fractal Theorist makes a token
  3. Take out Clash of Titans: Clash of Titans works with 5 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme; Dragonsguard Elite works with 12 cards, 10 of them on it, and with your commander. Put in Dragonsguard Elite: When Swarm Intelligence is copied, Dragonsguard Elite puts a +1/+1 counter on itself

Upgrades at bracket 4–5

No limits on Game Changers or combos.

16 swaps, and after them the report reads the deck at bracket 3. These are the same swaps as at bracket 3: none of the stronger cards bracket 4–5 allows does any of these jobs strictly better, so aiming higher changes nothing for this deck.

Its cards work together more: synergy 3.6 → 4.1 of 5, from connected to tight. It is more consistent: Build 4.5 → 5.0 of 5, still on target; no longer short on interaction, no longer short on ramp. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out Gruul Turf: Gruul Turf enters tapped. Put in Fire-Lit Thicket: Fire-Lit Thicket never enters tapped and makes red or green.
  2. Take out Rugged Highlands: Rugged Highlands enters tapped. Put in Spire Garden: Spire Garden never enters tapped and makes red or green.
  3. Take out Simic Growth Chamber: Simic Growth Chamber enters tapped. Put in Breeding Pool: Breeding Pool never enters tapped and makes blue or green.
  4. Take out Thornwood Falls: Thornwood Falls enters tapped. Put in Flooded Grove: Flooded Grove never enters tapped and makes blue or green.
  5. Take out Izzet Boilerworks: Izzet Boilerworks enters tapped. Put in Cascade Bluffs: Cascade Bluffs never enters tapped and makes blue or red.
  6. Take out Swiftwater Cliffs: Swiftwater Cliffs enters tapped. Put in Ferrous Lake: Ferrous Lake never enters tapped and makes blue or red.

Ramp

  1. Take out Predatory Impetus: Predatory Impetus is next on the report's cut list. All it does here is help 1 card once, by finding them or bringing them back. Put in Fellwar Stone: Ramp: you were 1 short; Fellwar Stone counts as ramp.
  2. Take out Arcane Signet: Arcane Signet is weaker ramp than Chrome Mox. Put in Chrome Mox: Chrome Mox is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Card advantage

  1. Take out Primal Empathy: Primal Empathy is weaker card draw than Rhystic Study. Put in Rhystic Study: Rhystic Study is card draw too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Interaction

  1. Take out Wilderness Reclamation: Wilderness Reclamation is next on the report's cut list. All it does here is help 1 card once, by finding them or bringing them back. Put in Sword of Wealth and Power: Interaction: you were 4 short; Sword of Wealth and Power counts as interaction. When Evolution Charm is cast, Sword of Wealth and Power copies a spell.
  2. Take out Twinning Staff: Twinning Staff is next on the report's cut list. Put in Weaver of Lightning: Interaction: you were 4 short; Weaver of Lightning counts as interaction. When Evolution Charm is cast, Weaver of Lightning deals 1 damage.
  3. Take out Ravenous Gigantotherium: Ravenous Gigantotherium is next on the report's cut list. Works with 2 other cards: with 2 again and again. Put in Jace, Vryn's Prodigy // Jace, Telepath Unbound: Interaction: you were 4 short; Jace, Vryn's Prodigy // Jace, Telepath Unbound counts as interaction.
  4. Take out Dualcaster Mage: Dualcaster Mage is next on the report's cut list. Works with 3 other cards: with 3 again and again. Put in Claim the Kingdom: Interaction: you were 4 short; Claim the Kingdom counts as interaction.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Etali, Primal Storm: Etali, Primal Storm works with 6 cards in this deck, 5 of them on its theme; Niv-Mizzet, Parun works with 20 cards, all of them on it. Put in Niv-Mizzet, Parun: When Lunar Mystic makes a player draw a card, Niv-Mizzet, Parun deals 1 damage
  2. Take out Whiplash Trap: Whiplash Trap works with 4 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme. Put in Deekah, Fractal Theorist: When Swarm Intelligence is copied, Deekah, Fractal Theorist makes a token
  3. Take out Clash of Titans: Clash of Titans works with 5 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme; Dragonsguard Elite works with 12 cards, 10 of them on it, and with your commander. Put in Dragonsguard Elite: When Swarm Intelligence is copied, Dragonsguard Elite puts a +1/+1 counter on itself

Also short, against a typical Commander deck: interaction 8 of 12, ramp 12 of 13.

The decklist

Creatures

Charmbreaker Devils · Crackling Drake · Djinn Illuminatus · Dualcaster Mage · Eon Frolicker · Etali, Primal Storm · Glademuse · Goblin Dark-Dwellers · Haldan, Avid Arcanist · Lunar Mystic · Melek, Izzet Paragon · Murmuring Mystic · Nascent Metamorph · Niblis of Frost · Pako, Arcane Retriever · Rashmi, Eternities Crafter · Ravenous Gigantotherium · Solemn Simulacrum · Talrand, Sky Summoner · Wort, the Raidmother · Xyris, the Writhing Storm

Planeswalkers

Jace, Architect of Thought

Instants and sorceries

Artifact Mutation · Channeled Force · Chaos Warp · Chemister's Insight · Clash of Titans · Comet Storm · Commune with Lava · Crop Rotation · Curious Herd · Decoy Gambit · Deflecting Swat · Evolution Charm · Frantic Search · Growth Spiral · Harrow · Hunter's Insight · Hunting Pack · Natural Connection · Prophetic Bolt · Slice in Twain · Starstorm · Strength of the Tajuru · Surreal Memoir · Temur Charm · Tribute to the Wild · Whiplash Trap

Artifacts and enchantments

Arcane Signet · Bonder's Ornament · Commander's Sphere · Lavabrink Floodgates · Lightning Greaves · Predatory Impetus · Primal Empathy · Psychic Impetus · Shiny Impetus · Sol Ring · Swarm Intelligence · Twinning Staff · Wilderness Reclamation

Lands

Cinder Glade · Command Tower · Desolate Lighthouse · Exotic Orchard · 8 Forest · Frontier Bivouac · Gruul Turf · Halimar Depths · 5 Island · Izzet Boilerworks · Kessig Wolf Run · Mossfire Valley · Mosswort Bridge · 5 Mountain · Myriad Landscape · Oran-Rief, the Vastwood · Rugged Highlands · Rupture Spire · Scavenger Grounds · Simic Growth Chamber · Swiftwater Cliffs · Thornwood Falls · Yavimaya Coast

Other Commander 2020 precons