Many sigils, one purpose.

Commander / EDH* Exalted GWU (Bant) Infect Multiplayer Voltron

boristormodor

Buffs (8)

• 1x Giant Growth
• 1x Groundswell
• 1x Invigorate
• 1x Might of Old Krosa
• 1x Mutagenic Growth
• 1x Rancor
• 1x Scale Up
• 1x Seal of Strength

Draw (10)

• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Cold-Eyed Selkie
• 1x Mystic Remora
• 1x Oakhame Adversary
• 1x Ohran Frostfang
• 1x Ohran Viper
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Sylvan Library

FastMana (17)

• 1x Arbor Elf
• 1x Avacyn's Pilgrim
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Bloom Tender
• 1x Carpet of Flowers
• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Elvish Spirit Guide
• 1x Faeburrow Elder
• 1x Fyndhorn Elves
• 1x Llanowar Elves
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mox Diamond
• 1x Noble Hierarch
• 1x Priest of Titania
• 1x Sol Ring

Hate (7)

• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Nature's Claim
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Qasali Pridemage
• 1x Reclamation Sage
• 1x Rest in Peace
• 1x Swords to Plowshares

Infect (9)

• 1x Blight Mamba
• 1x Blighted Agent
• 1x Glistener Elf
• 1x Ichorclaw Myr
• 1x Lost Leonin
• 1x Plague Myr
• 1x Putrefax
• 1x Rot Wolf
• 1x Viridian Corrupter

Lands (28)

• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Bountiful Promenade
• 1x Breeding Pool
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dryad Arbor
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Forest
• 1x Gaea's Cradle
• 1x Gemstone Caverns
• 1x Inkmoth Nexus
• 1x Island
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Pendelhaven
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Savannah
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Tarnished Citadel
• 1x Temple Garden
• 1x Tropical Island
• 1x Tundra
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Wooded Foothills

Protection (6)

• 1x Conqueror's Flail
• 1x Fierce Guardianship
• 1x Giver of Runes
• 1x Grand Abolisher
• 1x Mother of Runes
• 1x Veil of Summer

Tutors (8)

• 1x Eladamri's Call
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Finale of Devastation
• 1x Green Sun's Zenith
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Steelshaper's Gift
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic
• 1x Worldly Tutor

Utility (6)

• 1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
• 1x Finest Hour
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sun Titan
• 1x Sword of Fire and Ice
• 1x Umezawa's Jitte

Commander (1)

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Outdated guide...

Indroduction

First of all I want to introduce myself. My name ist Christian and I'm from Germany. I'm playing MtG for about ten years and I'm an EDH-only-Player.

This is my first guide so i would appreciate any critics and opinions on the deck.

I just made some major changes to the deck and will try out if it works better than before.

Why Rafiq?

Rafiq of the Many is in my opinion a really strong multicolored commander-damage-general. I personaly liked the card from the time when I played standard, so I wanted to build a deck around him. First of all I builded an Exalted-Deck around him and afterwards an Enchantment-Deck. But I came to the conclusion that the Aggro-Deck-Tech is the best way to play him in 1 vs 1 EDH games. I know the deck is quite expensive but I think it's worth its costs.

Idea behind the Deck

The idea behind this Aggro-Deck is to puke out early mana-sources like Noble Hierarch, Chrome Mox or Mana Crypt to get your commander turn 1-3 on the battlefield (yes turn 1 is possible). The second step is to protect Rafiq of the Many for example with Mother of Runes or Champion's Helm and kill your opponent with collateral commander-damage in turn 2-5 with cards like Berserk or Finest Hour. If you run out of cards there are many cards which help you out like Day's Undoing or Edric, Spymaster of Trest.

Explanation of the single cards

Lands: Show

Why only 30 land cards?

The answer is simple because there are 16 other low-mana-cost-cards, which produce mana or search for mana sources.

Why exactly 1x Forest, 1 x Plains and 1x Island?

1. You can find them with Flooded Strand, Misty Rainforest and Windswept Heath if Breeding Pool, Hallowed Fountain and Temple Garden are already on the battlefield

2. If your opponent plays cards like Path to Exile or Collective Voyage, you want to get something out of it.

3. You need mulitple kinds of colors in the early game. That's why you cannot afford to play more basic lands.

Colorfixing lands:

This deck uses a lot of those cards because it is really necessary to have right type of mana when you need it in the early game. The damage you take out of them is totaly worth, because the game won't last to long. Do not hesitate to take damage because you will have the pressure on the board!

Those lands are: Adarkar Wastes, Breeding Pool, Brushland, City of Brass, Command Tower, Flooded Grove, Flooded Strand, Hallowed Fountain, Mana Confluence, Misty Rainforest, Mystic Gate, Reflecting Pool, Skycloud Expanse, Sungrass Prairie, Tarnished Citadel, Temple Garden, Windswept Heath, Wooded Bastion and Yavimaya Coast.

Other lands:

Ancient Tomb: gives for 2 damage = awesome

Cavern of Souls: Call "Human" and Rafiq of the Many as well as your other eight human creatures can't be countered

Dryad Arbor: Can be found with Green Sun's Zenith, can block and can be used for other effects

Hall of the Bandit Lord: You get 3 damage and your opponent crys because Rafiq of the Many is hitting his face again? I guess this trade is worth.

Horizon Canopy: Colorfixing land which can be sacrificed when you need to draw. Great card!

Mikokoro, Center of the Sea: If you run out of cards, this land helps you out

Rogue's Passage: Makes your Commander unblockable to crush your opponent

Tolaria West: Finds every land you need, Chrome Mox, Mana Crypt, Mox Diamond and Pact of Negation, which can be game changeing

Creatures and Planeswalker Show

Is it worth to play 24 other creatures (25 with Dryad Arbor), because the only one you want to deal damage is Rafiq of the Many?

Yes it is!

1. You need your early Mana-Creatures

2. Your creatures can draw cards with Edric, Spymaster of Trest

3. Your creatures can be tapped for Opposition

4. There are some creatures in the deck with awesome abilitys which synergize with your Commander

Mana-Creatures and Tutor:

Those Creatures are: Avacyn's Pilgrim, Birds of Paradise, Bloom Tender, Elvish Mystic, Fyndhorn Elves, Llanowar Elves and Noble Hierarch

Trinket Mage (because he searches for Chrome Mox, Mana Crypt, Mox Diamond and Sol Ring; Note that he can also find Skullclamp for draw)

Other creatures:

Bastion Protector and Knight Exemplar: buff your Commander and give him Indestructibility

Cephalid Constable: Bounces all permanents your opponent controls, when he is buffed

Cold-Eyed Selkie: Draws a lot of cards when he is buffed

Dauntless Escort and Mother of Runes: Protect your Commander

Edric, Spymaster of Trest: Self-explanatory

Glen Elendra Archmage: Counters Kill-Spells and other ugly Non-creature-stuff

Grand Abolisher: Nice card to avoid reactions from your opponent

Jace's Archivist: Card draw machine because you won't have many cards in hand, but your opponent will

Ohran Viper: Draws two cards with double strike

Qasali Pridemage: Destroys an annoying enchantment or artifact and buffs your Commander

Stoneforge Mystic: Searches your deadly equipments

Sun Titan: Highest Mana Cost in the deck but brings nearly all your permanents back to life

Surrak, the Hunt Caller: Gives haste to Rafiq of the Many because they already have a total power of 8, when they're both on the battlefield

Trygon Predator: Destroys two targets with double strike

Planeswalker:

Elspeth, Knight-Errant: +3/+3 and flying is really strong and a 1/1 blocker can be useful as well

Artifacts and Enchantments Show

Why do you play the Signets?

Because they transform colorless Mana in colored Mana.

Mana Artifacts:

Azorius Signet, Chrome Mox, Mana Crypt, Mox Diamond, Selesnya Signet, Simic Signet and Sol Ring

Equipments:

Champion's Helm: Hexproof and buff? That is exactly what we want!

Haunted Cloak: Mostly played because of trample and haste

Inquisitor's Flail: Creatures won't do double combat damage to you, because you smash them with double strike. Kills the opponent in one hit if you give Rafiq of the Many +2/+2

Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots: Haste and proctection = perfect for this deck

Skullclamp: The mana elves die proudly to give you two additional draws

Sword of Fire and Ice and Sword of Light and Shadow: Protection of two different colors + boost + great effects

Umezawa's Jitte: You get four charge counters for a double strike attack :)

Why don't you play the other "Swords"?

In my opinion those two swords fit best in here. The other effects don't help too much in the Aggro-Deck-Tech

Other Artifact:

Memory Jar: draw draw draw

Enchantments:

Booster:

Finest Hour: Kills the opponent in one turn with Rafiq of the Many. Exalted triggers again in the next combat step!

Rancor: Trample and boost for . Awesome card because it returns when your creature dies

Shield of the Oversoul: Boost, protection and flying in one card... I don't have to say more

Draw-Engines:

Mystic Remora: Best in Muliplayer, but really good in 1 vs 1

Rhystic Study: See above

Sylvan Librar: Always draw one additional card! Four life is nothing because you will kill your opponent before it matters. If you do not have enough cards in hand, you can draw two additionals as well.

Other Enchantments:

Aura Shards: Really worth because you play so many little creatures

Concordant Crossroads: One of the best cards in the deck. Your creatures can activate their mana-abilitys at the moment they come into play and your Commander runs over the battlefield. It doesn't matter that ALL creatures get haste, because ... yeah you already know it...

Opposition: Tap everything you want with the mass of creatures you have

Privileged Position: No comment

Instants and Sorceries Show

Instants:

Buffs:

Berserk: And again you only need another +2/+2 to win the game for just

Stonewood Invocation: Split second wins games. Just saying.

Vines of Vastwood: Protection and unpredicted buff

Counters:

Flusterstorm: Should be minimum a Mana Leak for less

Force of Will: Counter for and you can draw enough with cards like Day's Undoing. The best Counterspell in the game in my opinion!

Pact of Negation: Another Counterspell for . Use the the time to kill your opponent!

Swan Song: The token does exactly nothing in EDH games. That makes this card one of the best Counterspells in this format.

Tutor:

Chord of Calling: You have enough creatures to tap

Removal:

Path to Exile: Exile the blocker and win

Swords to Plowshares: Look above. Even better because life is not important when you kill him with Commanderdamage

Sorceries:

Massive draw:

Day's Undoing, Diminishing Returns, Time Reversal, Time Spiral and Windfall.

The first four cards even solve problems with your enemys graveyard

Tutors:

Green Sun's Zenith: Finds Dryad Arbor without paying any costs. Finds other 14 creatures in the deck.

Steelshaper's Gift: for an equipment is just ridiculous

Final Statement

I hope you enjoyed to read this guide. I really like this deck and it is really constant.

If you like my deck +1 Upvote it. As I said in the beginning I would really like to hear your oppinions on the deck!

Have Fun!

Top Ranked	Achieved #40 position overall 8 years ago
Date added	8 years
Last updated	4 years
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	15 - 0 Mythic Rares 42 - 0 Rares 17 - 0 Uncommons 24 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	1.89