Much like last set’s Tom Bombadil, Eriette of the Charmed Apple begs for someone to build around her. But there was a problem right out the gate: Auras are almost universally known as the worst card type in Magic. They have a long history of not being played.
Time for the second, much more powerful of the Historic Brawl decks I promised: Elf Ball. A deck that seeks to overrun the opponent with lots of creatures pumped to absurd power by Craterhoof Behemoth.
In the LOTR set, there’s perhaps no commander more demanding of someone to build around than Tom Bombadil. His abilities outline what sort of deck he needs to go in, and his color identity gives you access to every saga in the game. And, if you’re like me, you likely went to go see what sagas you had on Arena, put them all into a list with a few tutors and support cards, and rushed off to play. And then you got slapped into the ground by more aggressive or streamlined decks.
You may have heard of CEDH before. It’s a way of playing Commander where you focus on ruthlessly winning the game as fast as possible. But, for those who play Arena, only one option comes close to either version of Commander: Brawl.
So, last week, we laid out the card choices; now, let’s talk about the average game with Mardu Pyromancer. Here’s what you’re trying to do.
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a deck tech for a non-Phoenix build, but this was too sweet not to share. I made the deck on a whim, tried it out in Historic Bof1, and then busted heads. And now you can, too.
So, those are the card choices, but before you go off and play, let’s talk about what decks to look out for, and what upgrades might happen down the line with the upcoming set.
Longtime readers will know that I’m a big fan of the Arclight Phoenix deck. It’s popular and powerful in Historic on Arena and I use it to grind ranks. Getting lots of practice in has led me to make tons of tweaks and even a few deviations from any list you’ve probably seen.
Genesis Midrange rewards understanding when you can ignore your opponent’s attackers and go for the ramp win and when you need to stall.
This deck can easily and routinely jump ahead two turns at a time in mana advantage and cast something big before they can respond to it.
Temur Reclamation has been my pet deck this standard, and I’ve been playing it to moderate success. But the meta eventually left the deck behind. However, I still think it’s worth considering. It just needs a new focus, a new coat of paint. Some people went the midrange route—I’ve gone the opposite. Behold! Temur Hard…
