edhseer Commander synergy, explained

Precons › Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander

Mardu Surge

Commander precon · Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander · 2025 · led by Zurgo Stormrender

Synergy 3.4/5 (connected) · Bracket 1–2 · Zurgo Stormrender works with 10 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.

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

Its cards work together a little more: synergy 3.4 → 3.7 of 5, still connected. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.2 → 4.3 of 5, still on target; still 1 short on board wipes, 2 short on ramp, was 3. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out Temple of Silence: Temple of Silence enters tapped. Put in Desolate Mire: Desolate Mire never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  2. Take out Temple of Triumph: Temple of Triumph enters tapped. Put in Plateau: Plateau never enters tapped and makes white or red.
  3. Take out Isolated Chapel: Isolated Chapel can enter tapped. Put in Godless Shrine: Godless Shrine never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  4. Take out Clifftop Retreat: Clifftop Retreat can enter tapped. Put in Rugged Prairie: Rugged Prairie never enters tapped and makes white or red.
  5. Take out Dragonskull Summit: Dragonskull Summit can enter tapped. Put in Badlands: Badlands never enters tapped and makes black or red.

Ramp

  1. Take out Ironwill Forger: Ironwill Forger is next on the report's cut list. Works with 8 other cards: with 5 again and again, with 3 just once or in the background. Put in Crowded Crypt: Ramp: you were 3 short; Crowded Crypt counts as ramp. Crowded Crypt makes fodder for Chittering Witch.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Infantry Shield: Infantry Shield works with 1 card in this deck, none of it on its theme; Pious Evangel // Wayward Disciple works with 40 cards, 36 of them on it. Put in Pious Evangel // Wayward Disciple: While you control Pious Evangel, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar counts it and gets bigger
  2. Take out Blade of Selves: Blade of Selves works with 1 card in this deck, none of it on its theme; Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom works with 35 cards, 32 of them on it. Put in Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom: While you control Lunarch Veteran, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar counts it and gets bigger

Upgrades at bracket 3

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

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

Its cards work together a little more: synergy 3.4 → 3.7 of 5, still connected. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.2 → 4.3 of 5, still on target; still 1 short on board wipes, 2 short on ramp, was 3. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out Temple of Silence: Temple of Silence enters tapped. Put in Desolate Mire: Desolate Mire never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  2. Take out Temple of Triumph: Temple of Triumph enters tapped. Put in Plateau: Plateau never enters tapped and makes white or red.
  3. Take out Isolated Chapel: Isolated Chapel can enter tapped. Put in Godless Shrine: Godless Shrine never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  4. Take out Clifftop Retreat: Clifftop Retreat can enter tapped. Put in Rugged Prairie: Rugged Prairie never enters tapped and makes white or red.
  5. Take out Dragonskull Summit: Dragonskull Summit can enter tapped. Put in Badlands: Badlands never enters tapped and makes black or red.

Ramp

  1. Take out Ironwill Forger: Ironwill Forger is next on the report's cut list. Works with 8 other cards: with 5 again and again, with 3 just once or in the background. Put in Crowded Crypt: Ramp: you were 3 short; Crowded Crypt counts as ramp. Crowded Crypt makes fodder for Chittering Witch.
  2. Take out Fellwar Stone: Fellwar Stone 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.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Infantry Shield: Infantry Shield works with 1 card in this deck, none of it on its theme; Pious Evangel // Wayward Disciple works with 40 cards, 36 of them on it. Put in Pious Evangel // Wayward Disciple: While you control Pious Evangel, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar counts it and gets bigger
  2. Take out Blade of Selves: Blade of Selves works with 1 card in this deck, none of it on its theme; Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom works with 35 cards, 32 of them on it. Put in Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom: While you control Lunarch Veteran, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar counts it and gets bigger

Upgrades at bracket 4–5

No limits on Game Changers or combos.

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

Its cards work together a little more: synergy 3.4 → 3.7 of 5, still connected. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.2 → 4.3 of 5, still on target; still 1 short on board wipes, 2 short on ramp, was 3. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out Temple of Silence: Temple of Silence enters tapped. Put in Desolate Mire: Desolate Mire never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  2. Take out Temple of Triumph: Temple of Triumph enters tapped. Put in Plateau: Plateau never enters tapped and makes white or red.
  3. Take out Isolated Chapel: Isolated Chapel can enter tapped. Put in Godless Shrine: Godless Shrine never enters tapped and makes white or black.
  4. Take out Clifftop Retreat: Clifftop Retreat can enter tapped. Put in Rugged Prairie: Rugged Prairie never enters tapped and makes white or red.
  5. Take out Dragonskull Summit: Dragonskull Summit can enter tapped. Put in Badlands: Badlands never enters tapped and makes black or red.

Ramp

  1. Take out Ironwill Forger: Ironwill Forger is next on the report's cut list. Works with 8 other cards: with 5 again and again, with 3 just once or in the background. Put in Crowded Crypt: Ramp: you were 3 short; Crowded Crypt counts as ramp. Crowded Crypt makes fodder for Chittering Witch.
  2. Take out Fellwar Stone: Fellwar Stone 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.
  3. Take out Talisman of Conviction: Talisman of Conviction is weaker ramp than Mana Vault. Put in Mana Vault: Mana Vault is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.
  4. Take out Talisman of Hierarchy: Talisman of Hierarchy is weaker ramp than Mox Diamond. Put in Mox Diamond: Mox Diamond is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Infantry Shield: Infantry Shield works with 1 card in this deck, none of it on its theme; Pious Evangel // Wayward Disciple works with 40 cards, 36 of them on it. Put in Pious Evangel // Wayward Disciple: While you control Pious Evangel, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar counts it and gets bigger
  2. Take out Blade of Selves: Blade of Selves works with 1 card in this deck, none of it on its theme; Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom works with 35 cards, 32 of them on it. Put in Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom: While you control Lunarch Veteran, Adeline, Resplendent Cathar counts it and gets bigger

Opens a route: Flame-Kin War Scout. 38 of its cards reach Skullclamp through it.

Also short, against a typical Commander deck: board wipes 1 of 2, ramp 9 of 12.

The decklist

Creatures

Adeline, Resplendent Cathar · Ainok Strike Leader · Angel of Invention · Aron, Benalia's Ruin · Beetleback Chief · Bone Devourer · Chittering Witch · Emeria Angel · Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor · Goldlust Triad · Goldnight Commander · Grenzo, Havoc Raiser · Hero of Bladehold · Ironwill Forger · Legion Warboss · Loyal Apprentice · Mindblade Render · Morbid Opportunist · Myr Battlesphere · Neriv, Crackling Vanguard · Ogre Battledriver · Ophiomancer · Redoubled Stormsinger · Selfless Spirit · Siege-Gang Commander · Solemn Simulacrum · Sun Titan · Thalisse, Reverent Medium · Twilight Drover · Viscera Seer · Yahenni, Undying Partisan

Planeswalkers

Kaya, Geist Hunter

Instants and sorceries

Abrade · Bitter Triumph · Deadly Dispute · Eliminate the Competition · Grand Crescendo · Hour of Reckoning · Lingering Souls · Release the Dogs · Shadow Summoning · Stroke of Midnight · Swords to Plowshares · Tempt with Vengeance · Will of the Mardu

Artifacts and enchantments

Arcane Signet · Bastion of Remembrance · Blade of Selves · Commander's Insignia · Divine Visitation · Fellwar Stone · Idol of Oblivion · Infantry Shield · Legion Loyalty · Lightning Greaves · Skullclamp · Sol Ring · Talisman of Conviction · Talisman of Hierarchy · Tocasia's Welcome · Wayfarer's Bauble · Within Range

Lands

Battlefield Forge · Bojuka Bog · Canyon Slough · Castle Ardenvale · Castle Embereth · Caves of Koilos · Clifftop Retreat · Command Tower · Dragonskull Summit · Exotic Orchard · Fetid Heath · Isolated Chapel · 5 Mountain · Nomad Outpost · Path of Ancestry · 5 Plains · Shattered Landscape · Shattered Sanctum · Smoldering Marsh · 5 Swamp · Temple of Silence · Temple of Triumph · Terramorphic Expanse · Vault of the Archangel · Windbrisk Heights

Other Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander precons