edhseer Commander synergy, explained

Precons › Commander 2015

Call the Spirits

Commander precon · Commander 2015 · 2015 · led by Daxos the Returned

Main theme: Enchantress · Synergy 3.8/5 (connected) · Bracket 1–2 · Daxos the Returned works with 29 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.

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

Its cards work together a little less: synergy 3.8 → 3.7 of 5, still connected. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.1 → 4.4 of 5, still on target; no longer short on ramp, still 7 short on card advantage. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out New Benalia: New Benalia enters tapped and makes only white. Put in Desolate Mire: Desolate Mire never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  2. Take out Orzhov Basilica: Orzhov Basilica enters tapped. Put in Fetid Heath: Fetid Heath never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  3. Take out Orzhov Guildgate: Orzhov Guildgate enters tapped. Put in Godless Shrine: Godless Shrine never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  4. Take out Scoured Barrens: Scoured Barrens enters tapped. Put in Scrubland: Scrubland never enters tapped and makes white or black.

Ramp

  1. Take out Death Grasp: Death Grasp is next on the report's cut list. It works with other cards only once, when it is played: with Karlov of the Ghost Council. Put in Arcane Signet: Ramp: you were 4 short; Arcane Signet counts as ramp.
  2. Take out Thief of Blood: Thief of Blood is next on the report's cut list. Works with 3 other cards: with 2 again and again, with 1 just once or in the background. Put in Fellwar Stone: Ramp: you were 4 short; Fellwar Stone counts as ramp.
  3. Take out Banshee of the Dread Choir: Banshee of the Dread Choir is next on the report's cut list. Works with 6 other cards: with 3 again and again, with 3 just once or in the background. Put in Talisman of Hierarchy: Ramp: you were 4 short; Talisman of Hierarchy counts as ramp.
  4. Take out Cage of Hands: Cage of Hands is next on the report's cut list. Put in The Mind Stone: Ramp: you were 4 short; The Mind Stone counts as ramp.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Vow of Malice: Vow of Malice works with 5 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme; Defiler of Faith works with 30 cards, 4 of them on it, and with your commander. Put in Defiler of Faith: Defiler of Faith reduces what Sigil of the Empty Throne costs

Upgrades at bracket 3

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

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

Its cards work together as before: synergy stays at 3.8 of 5, connected. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.1 → 4.4 of 5, still on target; no longer short on ramp, still 7 short on card advantage. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out New Benalia: New Benalia enters tapped and makes only white. Put in Desolate Mire: Desolate Mire never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  2. Take out Orzhov Basilica: Orzhov Basilica enters tapped. Put in Fetid Heath: Fetid Heath never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  3. Take out Orzhov Guildgate: Orzhov Guildgate enters tapped. Put in Godless Shrine: Godless Shrine never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  4. Take out Scoured Barrens: Scoured Barrens enters tapped. Put in Scrubland: Scrubland never enters tapped and makes white or black.

Ramp

  1. Take out Death Grasp: Death Grasp is next on the report's cut list. It works with other cards only once, when it is played: with Karlov of the Ghost Council. Put in Arcane Signet: Ramp: you were 4 short; Arcane Signet counts as ramp.
  2. Take out Thief of Blood: Thief of Blood is next on the report's cut list. Works with 3 other cards: with 2 again and again, with 1 just once or in the background. Put in Fellwar Stone: Ramp: you were 4 short; Fellwar Stone counts as ramp.
  3. Take out Banshee of the Dread Choir: Banshee of the Dread Choir is next on the report's cut list. Works with 6 other cards: with 3 again and again, with 3 just once or in the background. Put in Talisman of Hierarchy: Ramp: you were 4 short; Talisman of Hierarchy counts as ramp.
  4. Take out Cage of Hands: Cage of Hands is next on the report's cut list. Put in The Mind Stone: Ramp: you were 4 short; The Mind Stone counts as ramp.
  5. Take out Orzhov Signet: Orzhov Signet is weaker ramp than Smothering Tithe. Put in Smothering Tithe: Smothering Tithe is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.
  6. Take out Thought Vessel: Thought Vessel 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 Ancient Craving: Ancient Craving is weaker card draw than The One Ring. Put in The One Ring: The One Ring is card draw too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Vow of Duty: Vow of Duty works with 5 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme; Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor works with 32 cards, 27 of them on it. Put in Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor: Secret Arcade gives Doomwake Giant an extra ability
  2. Take out Vow of Malice: Vow of Malice works with 5 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme; Defiler of Faith works with 30 cards, 4 of them on it, and with your commander. Put in Defiler of Faith: Defiler of Faith reduces what Sigil of the Empty Throne costs

Upgrades at bracket 4–5

No limits on Game Changers or combos.

13 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 as before: synergy stays at 3.8 of 5, connected. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.1 → 4.4 of 5, still on target; no longer short on ramp, still 7 short on card advantage. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out New Benalia: New Benalia enters tapped and makes only white. Put in Desolate Mire: Desolate Mire never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  2. Take out Orzhov Basilica: Orzhov Basilica enters tapped. Put in Fetid Heath: Fetid Heath never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  3. Take out Orzhov Guildgate: Orzhov Guildgate enters tapped. Put in Godless Shrine: Godless Shrine never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  4. Take out Scoured Barrens: Scoured Barrens enters tapped. Put in Scrubland: Scrubland never enters tapped and makes white or black.

Ramp

  1. Take out Death Grasp: Death Grasp is next on the report's cut list. It works with other cards only once, when it is played: with Karlov of the Ghost Council. Put in Arcane Signet: Ramp: you were 4 short; Arcane Signet counts as ramp.
  2. Take out Thief of Blood: Thief of Blood is next on the report's cut list. Works with 3 other cards: with 2 again and again, with 1 just once or in the background. Put in Fellwar Stone: Ramp: you were 4 short; Fellwar Stone counts as ramp.
  3. Take out Banshee of the Dread Choir: Banshee of the Dread Choir is next on the report's cut list. Works with 6 other cards: with 3 again and again, with 3 just once or in the background. Put in Talisman of Hierarchy: Ramp: you were 4 short; Talisman of Hierarchy counts as ramp.
  4. Take out Cage of Hands: Cage of Hands is next on the report's cut list. Put in The Mind Stone: Ramp: you were 4 short; The Mind Stone counts as ramp.
  5. Take out Orzhov Signet: Orzhov Signet is weaker ramp than Smothering Tithe. Put in Smothering Tithe: Smothering Tithe is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.
  6. Take out Thought Vessel: Thought Vessel 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 Ancient Craving: Ancient Craving is weaker card draw than The One Ring. Put in The One Ring: The One Ring is card draw too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Vow of Duty: Vow of Duty works with 5 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme; Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor works with 32 cards, 27 of them on it. Put in Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor: Secret Arcade gives Doomwake Giant an extra ability
  2. Take out Vow of Malice: Vow of Malice works with 5 cards in this deck, none of them on its theme; Defiler of Faith works with 30 cards, 4 of them on it, and with your commander. Put in Defiler of Faith: Defiler of Faith reduces what Sigil of the Empty Throne costs

Opens a route: Eye of Singularity. 54 of its cards reach Corpse Augur through it.

Also short, against a typical Commander deck: card advantage 7 of 14, ramp 9 of 13.

The decklist

Creatures

Ajani's Chosen · Banshee of the Dread Choir · Bastion Protector · Burnished Hart · Celestial Ancient · Celestial Archon · Corpse Augur · Dawnglare Invoker · Doomwake Giant · Dreadbringer Lampads · Fate Unraveler · Ghostblade Eidolon · Herald of the Host · Karlov of the Ghost Council · Kor Sanctifiers · Mesa Enchantress · Monk Idealist · Nighthowler · Oreskos Explorer · Sandstone Oracle · Silent Sentinel · Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts · Thief of Blood · Treasury Thrull · Underworld Coinsmith

Instants and sorceries

Ancient Craving · Dawn to Dusk · Deadly Tempest · Death Grasp · Gild · Open the Vaults · Righteous Confluence

Artifacts and enchantments

Aura of Silence · Banishing Light · Black Market · Cage of Hands · Crystal Chimes · Daxos's Torment · Dictate of Heliod · Fallen Ideal · Grasp of Fate · Grave Peril · Karmic Justice · Lightning Greaves · Marshal's Anthem · Necromancer's Covenant · Orzhov Cluestone · Orzhov Signet · Phyrexian Arena · Phyrexian Reclamation · Seal of Cleansing · Seal of Doom · Shielded by Faith · Sigil of the Empty Throne · Sol Ring · Thought Vessel · Underworld Connections · Vow of Duty · Vow of Malice · Wayfarer's Bauble

Lands

Barren Moor · Command Tower · Evolving Wilds · Ghost Quarter · New Benalia · Orzhov Basilica · Orzhov Guildgate · 11 Plains · Rogue's Passage · Scoured Barrens · Secluded Steppe · 13 Swamp · Tainted Field · Temple of the False God · Terramorphic Expanse · Vivid Marsh · Vivid Meadow

Other Commander 2015 precons