edhseer Commander synergy, explained

Precons › The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander

Veloci-Ramp-Tor

Commander precon · The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander · 2023 · led by Pantlaza, Sun-Favored

Main theme: Dinosaur tribal · Synergy 4.0/5 (tight) · Bracket 3 · Pantlaza, Sun-Favored works with 39 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.

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

Its cards work together a little more: synergy 4.0 → 4.1 of 5, still tight. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.1 → 4.3 of 5, still on target; now 5 short on interaction, was 4, 3 short on card advantage, was 7. 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 Akroma's Will: With Apex Altisaur and Wrathful Raptors, Akroma's Will makes an infinite combo, which bracket 1–2 doesn't allow. Put in Belligerent Yearling: While you control Belligerent Yearling, Earthshaker Dreadmaw counts it and draws more cards

Lands

  1. Take out Fortified Village: Fortified Village makes only white or green. Put in Jetmir's Garden: Jetmir's Garden enters tapped and makes white, red or green.
  2. Take out Game Trail: Game Trail enters tapped. Put in Fire-Lit Thicket: Fire-Lit Thicket never enters tapped and makes red or green.
  3. Take out Furycalm Snarl: Furycalm Snarl enters tapped. Put in Plateau: Plateau never enters tapped and makes white or red.
  4. Take out Clifftop Retreat: Clifftop Retreat can enter tapped. Put in Rugged Prairie: Rugged Prairie never enters tapped and makes white or red.

Card advantage

  1. Take out Chandra's Ignition: Chandra's Ignition is next on the report's cut list. Works with nothing else in this deck. Put in Forerunner of the Empire: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Forerunner of the Empire counts as card advantage. Forerunner of the Empire can search up Earthshaker Dreadmaw.
  2. Take out Descendants' Path: Descendants' Path is next on the report's cut list. Works with 1 other card: with 1 again and again. Put in Plargg, Dean of Chaos // Augusta, Dean of Order: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Plargg, Dean of Chaos // Augusta, Dean of Order counts as card advantage.
  3. Take out Savage Stomp: Savage Stomp is next on the report's cut list. Put in Duskwatch Recruiter // Krallenhorde Howler: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Duskwatch Recruiter // Krallenhorde Howler counts as card advantage.
  4. Take out Wayta, Trainer Prodigy: Wayta, Trainer Prodigy is next on the report's cut list. Works with 8 other cards: with 4 again and again, with 4 just once or in the background. Put in Gladewalker Ritualist: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Gladewalker Ritualist counts as card advantage.

Upgrades at bracket 3

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

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

Its cards work together a little more: synergy 4.0 → 4.1 of 5, still tight. It is more consistent: Build 4.1 → 4.6 of 5, still on target; 3 short on card advantage, was 7, 2 short on interaction, was 4. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out Fortified Village: Fortified Village makes only white or green. Put in Jetmir's Garden: Jetmir's Garden enters tapped and makes white, red or green.
  2. Take out Game Trail: Game Trail enters tapped. Put in Fire-Lit Thicket: Fire-Lit Thicket never enters tapped and makes red or green.
  3. Take out Furycalm Snarl: Furycalm Snarl enters tapped. Put in Plateau: Plateau never enters tapped and makes white or red.
  4. Take out Clifftop Retreat: Clifftop Retreat can enter tapped. Put in Rugged Prairie: Rugged Prairie never enters tapped and makes white or red.

Ramp

  1. Take out Arcane Signet: Arcane 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.
  2. Take out Progenitor's Icon: Progenitor's Icon 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 Chandra's Ignition: Chandra's Ignition is next on the report's cut list. Works with nothing else in this deck. Put in Forerunner of the Empire: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Forerunner of the Empire counts as card advantage. Forerunner of the Empire can search up Earthshaker Dreadmaw.
  2. Take out Descendants' Path: Descendants' Path is next on the report's cut list. Works with 1 other card: with 1 again and again. Put in Plargg, Dean of Chaos // Augusta, Dean of Order: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Plargg, Dean of Chaos // Augusta, Dean of Order counts as card advantage.
  3. Take out Savage Stomp: Savage Stomp is next on the report's cut list. Put in Savage Order: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Savage Order counts as card advantage. When Earthshaker Dreadmaw enters thanks to Savage Order, it draws you cards.
  4. Take out Wayta, Trainer Prodigy: Wayta, Trainer Prodigy is next on the report's cut list. Works with 8 other cards: with 4 again and again, with 4 just once or in the background. Put in Duskwatch Recruiter // Krallenhorde Howler: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Duskwatch Recruiter // Krallenhorde Howler counts as card advantage.
  5. Take out Return of the Wildspeaker: Return of the Wildspeaker 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.

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. 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 a little more: synergy 4.0 → 4.1 of 5, still tight. It is more consistent: Build 4.1 → 4.6 of 5, still on target; 3 short on card advantage, was 7, 2 short on interaction, was 4. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Lands

  1. Take out Fortified Village: Fortified Village makes only white or green. Put in Jetmir's Garden: Jetmir's Garden enters tapped and makes white, red or green.
  2. Take out Game Trail: Game Trail enters tapped. Put in Fire-Lit Thicket: Fire-Lit Thicket never enters tapped and makes red or green.
  3. Take out Furycalm Snarl: Furycalm Snarl enters tapped. Put in Plateau: Plateau never enters tapped and makes white or red.
  4. Take out Clifftop Retreat: Clifftop Retreat can enter tapped. Put in Rugged Prairie: Rugged Prairie never enters tapped and makes white or red.

Ramp

  1. Take out Arcane Signet: Arcane 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.
  2. Take out Progenitor's Icon: Progenitor's Icon 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 Chandra's Ignition: Chandra's Ignition is next on the report's cut list. Works with nothing else in this deck. Put in Forerunner of the Empire: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Forerunner of the Empire counts as card advantage. Forerunner of the Empire can search up Earthshaker Dreadmaw.
  2. Take out Descendants' Path: Descendants' Path is next on the report's cut list. Works with 1 other card: with 1 again and again. Put in Plargg, Dean of Chaos // Augusta, Dean of Order: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Plargg, Dean of Chaos // Augusta, Dean of Order counts as card advantage.
  3. Take out Savage Stomp: Savage Stomp is next on the report's cut list. Put in Savage Order: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Savage Order counts as card advantage. When Earthshaker Dreadmaw enters thanks to Savage Order, it draws you cards.
  4. Take out Wayta, Trainer Prodigy: Wayta, Trainer Prodigy is next on the report's cut list. Works with 8 other cards: with 4 again and again, with 4 just once or in the background. Put in Duskwatch Recruiter // Krallenhorde Howler: Card advantage: you were 7 short; Duskwatch Recruiter // Krallenhorde Howler counts as card advantage.
  5. Take out Return of the Wildspeaker: Return of the Wildspeaker 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.

Opens a route: Druid's Call. 3 of its cards reach Marauding Raptor through it.

Also short, against a typical Commander deck: card advantage 7 of 14, interaction 8 of 12.

The decklist

Creatures

Apex Altisaur · Atzocan Seer · Bellowing Aegisaur · Bronzebeak Foragers · Curious Altisaur · Deathgorge Scavenger · Dinosaur Egg · Drover of the Mighty · Earthshaker Dreadmaw · Etali, Primal Storm · Itzquinth, Firstborn of Gishath · Ixalli's Lorekeeper · Kinjalli's Sunwing · Majestic Heliopterus · Marauding Raptor · Otepec Huntmaster · Quartzwood Crasher · Raging Regisaur · Raging Swordtooth · Rampaging Brontodon · Ranging Raptors · Regal Behemoth · Regisaur Alpha · Ripjaw Raptor · Runic Armasaur · Scion of Calamity · Shifting Ceratops · Sunfrill Imitator · Temple Altisaur · Thrashing Brontodon · Thundering Spineback · Topiary Stomper · Verdant Sun's Avatar · Wakening Sun's Avatar · Wayta, Trainer Prodigy · Wayward Swordtooth · Wrathful Raptors · Xenagos, God of Revels · Zacama, Primal Calamity · Zetalpa, Primal Dawn

Instants and sorceries

Akroma's Will · Chandra's Ignition · Cultivate · Farseek · Fiery Confluence · Generous Gift · Migration Path · Path to Exile · Rampant Growth · Return of the Wildspeaker · Rishkar's Expertise · Savage Stomp · Thunderherd Migration

Artifacts and enchantments

Arcane Signet · Descendants' Path · From the Rubble · Lifecrafter's Bestiary · Progenitor's Icon · Rhythm of the Wild · Sol Ring

Lands

Arch of Orazca · Canopy Vista · Cinder Glade · Clifftop Retreat · Command Tower · Evolving Wilds · Exotic Orchard · 8 Forest · Fortified Village · Furycalm Snarl · Game Trail · Jungle Shrine · Kessig Wolf Run · Mosswort Bridge · 4 Mountain · Myriad Landscape · Path of Ancestry · 4 Plains · Rogue's Passage · Secluded Courtyard · Temple of the False God · Terramorphic Expanse · Thriving Bluff · Thriving Grove · Thriving Heath · Unclaimed Territory

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